Ms. Li Xiuzhen Dies in Custody after Being Tortured

Name: Li Xiuzhen
Gender: Female
Age: In her 50s
Address: Caojiadougou Village, Linghe Town, Anqiu City, Shandong Province
Occupation: Linghe Town Nursery School Teacher
Date of Death: October 2009
Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 13th, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Jinan City Prison
City: Anqiu
Province: Shandong
Persecution Suffered: Electric Shock, Sleep Deprivation, Forced Labour, Brainwashing, Beatings, Imprisonment, Torture, Forced-Feedings, Home Ransacked, Interrogation, Detention

Ms. Li Xiuzhen used to be in poor health, suffering from chronic migraines, stomach disease, gastroptosis and gynaecological diseases. Her husband died in an accident, leaving her to rear their two children alone. After practising Falun Gong in 1998, Ms. Li's life changed to a positive cycle. She regained good health, and her mental outlook improved.

After the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, Li Xiuzhen went to Beijing three times to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. On the third trip, she was penniless and had to beg for food on her way to Beijing.

Ms. Li Xiuzhen was arrested 19 times, sent to forced labour, imprisoned for 7 years, and brutally force-fed 616 times. She endured more than a dozen tortures, but she still refused to give up her belief in Falun Gong. The guards used electric batons to shock her. However, she still talked to them about the wonderful benefits of Falun Gong. Ms. Li went on hunger strikes to protest the cruel beatings which occurred 5 or 6 times every day. The guards inserted a thick rubber tube into her nose to force-feed her. They deprived her of sleep for 28 days.

By the end of 2002, Ms. Li could not walk. She was emaciated and weighed only 50 lbs. She was released when she was close to dying. Her daughter, 13 years, old passed out in shock upon seeing the sight of her mother.

Li Xiuzhen recovered, and later lived away from home for over 6 years to avoid being arrested again. On the afternoon of June 13th, 2009, plainclothes police arrested her again. They tied her up with ropes and ransacked her rental unit. They took away 2 computers, 2 printers, cash and other belongings. No one knew of Ms. Li's whereabouts after the arrest.

Her family found out one month later that Ms. Li was detained in the Anqiu City Detention Centre. She went on a hunger strike, and was brutally force-fed. She was later taken to a brainwashing centre located in the Anqiu City Party Education School. Ms. Li was held in a brainwashing session especially set up for her, where she endured cruel torture. Her whereabouts were unknown again some time after that.

Many days after Li Xiuzhen died, her family saw her body in Jinan City Prison some time during the beginning of October 2009. The authorities ordered that her body be cremated soon after. The details of her brutal mistreatment in Jinan Prison are yet to be investigated. Over the past 10 years of persecution, 24 Falun Gong practitioners in Anqiu City have died as result of the persecution.

Personnel involved in the persecution of Ms. Li Xiuzhen:

Officer Li Shenghua, Anqiu City, born 1963 in Dashiliu Village, Jingzhi Town, Anqiu City; Telephone: 86-536-4383927 (Office), 86-13153632267 (Mobile)

Song Yunqing, Anqiu City Police Department Deputy Director, born 1961, Qingzhou City Police Registration Number: 052510; Telephone: 86-536-4262329 (Home), 86-536-4383905 (Office), 86-13706469258 (Mobile)

Cheng Shuping, born 1963, Tuoshan Town, Anqiu City, Anqiu City, Police Department Deputy Director: 86-536-4383912 (Office), 86-536-4262329 (Home), 86-13805362668 (Mobile)
Officer Zhang Xingchen, Anqiu City: 86-536-4383927 (Office)
Liu Cunliang, born 1963, Police Number 052766; Detention Centre Director: 86-536-4262953 (Office)
Wang Yuqing, born in Linwu Town, Anqiu City 610 Office Chair: 86-536-4396617 (Office), 86-536-4228659 (Home), 86-13963631535(Mobile)
Sheng Wanbo, born 1959, Police Number 052112, Anqiu City Police Department Director: 86-536-5228226 (Home), 86-13806362866(Mobile)
Wang Jihuai, Anqiu City Chinese Communist Party Secretary: 86-536-4936407 (Office), 86-536-4936408 (Fax); 86-13605369399(Mobile)

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.cc/mh/articles/2009/10/23/210966.html