Older Practitioner Mr. Lu Jigui Dies Due to Persecution

Name: Lu Jigui
Gender: Male
Age: 58
Address: Longfeng District, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Former employee of the Daqing City Petrochemical Company Fertilizer Plant
Date of Death: April 13th, 2010
Date of Most Recent Arrest: On February 27th, 2008
Most Recent Place of Detention: Longfeng Detention Centre
City: Daqing
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Force-feedings, fired from workplace, home ransacked, detention
Key Persecutors: Feng Haibo, Li Yan, Li Baijing, Chang Shuxue

Mr. Lu Jigui, 58 years old, was a resident of Longfeng District, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. He was arrested twice by local police in 2008. After he escaped from custody, he could not return home and had to live on the run for his safety. Living under constant pressure and fear, his health deteriorated. He passed away on April 13th, 2010.

At the end of January 2008, Mr. Lu wrote a letter explaining the facts about Falun Gong to Wei Shangxi, the party secretary of his former workplace, the Daqing City Petrochemical Company Fertilizer Plant. He also requested Wei to pass his letter to every upper-level official including Wen Jiabao and Hu Jintao. Instead, Wei Shangxi handed Mr. Lu Jigui's letter to the Wolitun Police Department.

On February 1st, 2008, police officers from the Wolitun Police Department came to Mr. Lu's home in plainclothes. They deceived him by telling him that they were from the local appeals office and would like to talk to him. Mr. Lu went with them and was arrested. Mr. Lu was then sent to the Longfeng Detention Centre. He was released after 10 days of detention.

On February 27th, 2008, 17 days after his release, Feng Haibo, a police officer from the Daqing Domestic Security Division, and police officers Li Yan, Li Baijing and Chang Shuxue from the Wolitun Police Department came to Mr. Lu's home again and arrested him. They ransacked his home and confiscated a computer, two printers, and some Falun Gong materials.

Mr. Lu was again sent to the Longfeng Detention Centre. During both detentions, he refused to co-operate with the police. He would not have his picture taken, sign any paperwork, wear prisoner uniforms, or participate in the roll calls. When a police officer saw Mr. Lu doing the Falun Gong exercises, he grabbed him and threw him onto the ground.

Mr. Lu held hunger strikes to protest during both of the detentions and was subjected to brutal force-feeding. Other inmates held him down and a tube was inserted into his nose. He suffered great pain during each force-feeding.

On the afternoon of March 5th, 2008, police from the Wolitun Police Department informed Mr. Lu that he would be sentenced to forced labour. On the morning of March 7th, he was sent to the Longfeng Fifth Hospital for a physical examination. During the examination, Mr. Lu found an opportunity to escape custody. After that, he went into hiding and was unable to return home.

The local police arranged for people to monitor his home. Once they stopped a bus in an effort to arrest him but failed. Previously, in 2007, they came to Mr. Lu's home to harass him.

Mr. Lu's appeal letter caused him to suffer much persecution. For two years he was unable to go back home. His mother, in her 80s, was sent to the hospital when she was severely ill, but Mr. Lu was not able to take care of her.

Mr. Lu passed away on April 13th, 2010.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/4/18/221737.html