Mr. Lu Zhen from the Gaolan County Power Authority in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, Relentlessly Persecuted

Name: Lu Zhen
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Address: Gaolan County, Lanzhou City
Occupation: Formerly a Gaolan County Power Authority administrator

Date of Most Recent Arrest: Around June 23rd, 2009
Most recent place of detention: First Forced Labour Camp in Gansu Province
City: Lanzhou
Province: Gansu
Persecution Suffered: Detention, forced labour, fired from workplace, brainwashing

On July 6th, 2009, Mr. Lu Zhen, a Falun Gong practitioner from Gaolan County, Lanzhou City, was sentenced to one year and three months of forced labour by the Lanzhou City Police Department. He was taken from a brainwashing centre directly to the First Forced Labour Camp in Gansu Province, where he is to this day.

Mr. Lu used to be one of the administrators for the Gaolan County Power Authority in Lanzhou City. He followed the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, and everyone agreed that he was a very kind person. Once at work, an electric pole fell on him and broke his femur. Although it was the fault of his employer, Mr. Lu did not ask for a penny in compensation.

At the beginning of 2005, Mr. Lu was sentenced by the Gaolan County Police Department to two years of forced labour for speaking out on behalf of Falun Gong. He was detained in the First Detention Station in Lanzhou City. At that time he had not yet recovered from his broken femur, but he was still forced to work for 17-18 hours per day. He had to peel lily roots, collect wool, collect watermelon seeds, and sew linen bags and blankets. He was also constantly insulted by other inmates. They even forced him to ask his family for cigarettes.

After he was released, Lu Zhen was fired from his job. Later, his wife filed for a divorce, and she took their child and the house. Mr. Lu had to go to southern China to make a living. After a year, he came back to Lanzhou City and found another job.

Around June 23rd, 2009, he was arrested by the Lanzhou City Department again and was secretly transferred to the Gongjiawan Brainwashing Centre in Lanzhou City. On July 6th, 2009, although no legal procedures were followed, he was taken directly from the Gongjiawan Brainwashing Centre to the First Forced Labour Camp in Pingantai, Gansu Province.

In August 2009, Mr. Lu looked like he was in a trance because of the constant abuse he was subjected to in the labour camp. One night he fell from a top bunk bed. Fortunately, he was not severely injured. He has steel pins in his thigh because of his work injury, but the guards still force him to do hard labour.

Lu Zhen's father is in his 70s. His elderly parents, who have witnessed their son suffering hardships again and again, are very worried about him. His son, who is still in elementary school, has been discriminated against by his teachers, which has hurt the young boy dramatically.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/6/2/224736.html