Ms. Zhao Fengzhen Relentlessly Persecuted for Her Belief

Name: Zhao Fengzhen
Gender: Female
Age: 58
Address: Baihe Village, Chengguan Town, Fuping County, Hebei Province
Occupation: Unemployed worker

Date of Most Recent Arrest: July 31st, 2007
Most Recent Place of Detention: Fuping County Domestic Security Division
City: Baoding

Province: Hebei
Persecution Suffered: Detention, interrogation, torture, home ransacked, extortion, beatings.

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhao Fenzhen has been repeatedly arrested and mistreated during the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong over the past ten years. The authorities have detained her three times, ransacked her home five times, and extorted 4000 yuan¹ from her family.

Ms. Zhao Fenzhen, 58, lives in her younger brother's home at Baihe Village in Chengguan Town, Fuping County. Before practising, Ms. Zhao suffered a great deal from the loss of her child and her husband leaving her. Ms. Zhao began cultivation in 1995 when a Falun Gong practitioner sent her a copy of the Falun Gong book, Zhuan Falun. She finished reading the book immediately and had newfound hope in life.

Going to Beijing to Appeal Against the Persecution

Jiang Zemin's [former leader of China and instigator of the persecution] regime launched the violent suppression of Falun Gong and its practitioners on July 20th, 1999. Led by officers Ma Baozhong and Zhou Qiulai, police in Fuping County arrested many Falun Gong practitioners.

Ms. Zhao and another practitioner went to Beijing to appeal in July 2001. Local police were monitoring the train station in Fuping, so to avoid arrest the two practitioners had to first go to Shanxi Province and then to Beijing.

Detention Centre Personnel Extort 4,000 Yuan from Ms. Zhao's Brother

After Ms. Zhao Fenzhen returned home from Beijing, seven other practitioners also went to Beijing to appeal against the persecution of Falun Gong. Police officers Ma Baozhong and Zhou Qiulai arrested them. They also ordered three other officers to ransack Ms. Zhao's home. They confiscated her Falun Gong books and informational materials. Ms. Zhao was taken to the police department, and in the evening transported to a detention centre.

Police officers Ma Baozhong and Zhou Qiulai forced practitioners' relatives to give them money before they would release the practitioner. They released the practitioners whose relatives had paid, and only Ms. Zhao remained in custody.

Ma Baozhong found Ms. Zhao's younger brother and ordered him to pay the money, claiming that unless he paid the money, Ms. Zhao would never be released. Her brother had no money, but he borrowed 3,000 yuan and handed it to police. Yet Ms. Zhao was still not released. Ms. Zhao's brother went to Ms. Zhao's company and asked the leaders to help. Ms. Zhao's supervisor went to ask police chief and political and judiciary committee head to release Ms. Zhao. 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) head Qi Guiliang forced Ms. Zhao's brother to pay 500 yuan and promised they would release Ms. Zhao. Ms. Zhao's brother and her supervisor went to the detention centre, where deputy detention centre head Zhang Zhanhong demanded they pay "living expenses." Ms. Zhao's supervisor took out 150 yuan, all the money he had, and gave it to him. Then they took Ms. Zhao home.

Held at Detention Centre for Nine Months

A group of officers led by the Chengguan Police Station chief went to Ms. Zhao's residence on February 18th, 2003 and arrested her again. They also searched her home and confiscated Falun Gong books and other materials. They then took her to the police station and transported her to a detention centre the next day.

Domestic Security Division head Zhang Jinhui sent Ms. Zhao to the Baoding Labour Camp. There they tortured Ms. Zhao. She passed out and fell to the ground, convulsing from the pain. Deputy head Zhang Zhanhong kicked her, forced her to open her eyes, and said that she feigning injury. Baoding Labour Camp officials eventually refused to accept Ms. Zhao. The other officials had to take Ms. Zhao back to detention and still refused to release her. They ordered Ms. Zhao's brother-in-law to pay 1,000 yuan to release her. Ms. Zhao's brother-in-law borrowed 1,000 yuan and was going to send it to them. But they changed their mind and wanted more. Ms. Zhao's brother-in-law really had no way to get the money. Ms. Zhao was detained for nine months.

Tortured at a Forced Labour Camp

Ms. Zhao went to visit a fellow practitioner on July 31st, 2007 and happened to encounter a group of police led by Zhang Jinhui, who were ransacking the practitioner's home. The police arrested Ms. Zhao along with the practitioner and sent them to the Domestic Security Division.

Ms. Zhao was sent to the Baoding Forced Labour Camp two days later. When they arrived, Ms. Zhao was seriously ill, and labour camp officials refused to accept her. Officer Zhang Jinhui refused to release her and sent her to the Baoding First Prison. Officials there also refused to accept her, so she was taken back to the Fuping Domestic Security Division.

They arrived in Fuping in the middle of the night. Ms. Zhao was delirious and hadn't eaten anything for three days since she was arrested.

Police officer Zhang Jinhui carried her out of the police car and slapped her face hard three times. He then affixed her feet to a metal chair with shackles and didn't unlock her until the next afternoon. By that time she had lost all feeling in her feet and was unable to stand or walk. This time she was held for four days.

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://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2009/12/10/214161.html