Ms. Song Yanjin from Heilongjiang Province Sentenced to Three Years in Prison, Previously in a Forced Labour Camp for Two Years

Name: Song Yanjin
Gender: Female
Age: 49
Address: Longjiang Town, Longjiang County, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 8th, 2008
Most recent place of detention: Harbin City Women's Prison
City: Harbin
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Beatings, Physical Constraint, Extortion
Key Persecutors: Kong Lingjiang, Dong Zhiyong

Ms. Song Yanjin was sentenced to three years in prison for her belief in Falun Gong. She was imprisoned in the Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison on April 8th, 2009. This is her second imprisonment due to her belief.

In November 2001, she was arrested in Beijing by police from Longjiang County, for appealing for the right to practise Falun Gong. She was imprisoned in a forced labour camp for two years. After her release in August 2003, she was repeatedly harassed by police in Longjiang County. To escape the harassment, she moved to Qiqihar City, and earned her living by selling breakfast.

After 9 p.m. on May 8th, 2008, Dong Zhiyong and other officers from the Xuefu Street Police Station in Longjiang County deceived Ms. Song. They convinced her to open her apartment door. Once the door was open they arrested her; her roommate, Mr. Zhuo Gang; and their guest, Mr. Yu Jinghe. Mr. Zhuo was sentenced to three years in prison and is now being held at the Daqing Prison. Mr. Yu has been detained at the Longjiang County Detention Centre.

On the morning of May 9th, the cleaner hired by Ms. Song came to work. After he used his key to open the door, to his surprise, he found officers allotting cash. The officers took him to another room. After whispering between themselves for a while, they let him go, but threatened, "Don't say anything. Don't ask for trouble." It was later confirmed that officers pocketed the money and property of Ms. Song and Mr. Zhuo, nearly 5,000 yuan¹ in cash and 5 barrels of corn oil, which is worth about 1,200 yuan.

Officers took Ms. Song to the Longjiang County Forth Detention Centre. They interrogated her with violence. They slapped her face so hard that her teeth loosened, her mouth and face were swollen and she could not eat for some time. Forty days later, on June 18th, officers handcuffed and shackled Ms. Song and Mr. Zhuo, dumped them in the boot of a police car, and took them to the Dafangli Police Station in Harbin City.

It is a four-hour ride from Longjing County to Harbin City. In sultry June weather, Ms. Song and Mr Zhuo in the trunk of the car were denied any water or the use of a toilet. Ms. Song was imprisoned at the Harbin City Second Detention Centre that night.

The same day, Zhu Tao, director of the Daowai District Police Department in Harbin City, ordered officers Ma Lianxing and Zhao Zhenhai from the Daowai Domestic Security Division to search Ms. Song's apartment for the second time. Officers Zhao Xuejun, Yu Chunting from the Dafangli Police Station, and officers Song Mengchun, Wu Min, Arsigen, and Zhao Zhenhai from the Daowai Domestic Security Division interrogated Ms. Song many times and fabricated false evidence against her.

On August 1st, 2008, the Harbin City Daowai District Procuratorate approved the arrest of Ms. Song.

On October 16th, 2008, Harbin City Daowai District Court tried Ms. Song but allowed only four or five family members to attend. When she was taken into the courtroom, her hands were cuffed, her feet shackled, and a black hood was pulled over her head.

Kong Lingjiang was the principle judge, He Jingpo and Li Xiaojing additional judges. Liu Bangyin was the court clerk, and Xu Dan was the procurator.

On November 7th, 2008, the court sentenced Ms. Song to three years in prison. She disagreed with the judgement and appealed to the Harbin City Intermediate Court. Zhang Xiaomei, judge of the intermediate court, was in charge of the case. She made only one quick visit to Ms. Song in the detention centre.

In the beginning of 2009, Ms. Song was informed that her appeal had been rejected and the Harbin City Intermediate Court had upheld the decision of the lower court. On April 8th, she was imprisoned at the Harbin City Women's Prison.

Dong Zhiyong, officer in Xuefu Street Police Station: 86-13206724988 (Mobile), 86-452-8563517 (Home)
Li Yongfu, director of Xuefu Street Police Station: 86-13504821507 (Mobile), 86-452-5917969 (Home), 86-452-5820873 (Office)
Han Jun, political instructor of Xuefu Street Police Station: 86-13846275777 (Mobile), 86-452-5834998 (Home), 86-452-5820873 (Office)
Kong Lingjiang, principle judge of Harbin City Daowai District Court: 86-451-87073047 (Office)

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/9/10/208076.html