Mr. Ma Zhanfang, a Falun Gong Practitioner in His 70s from Jilin Province, Dies Due to Persecution

Name: Ma Zhanfang
Gender: Male
Age: 74
Address: 72-4-70 Xiangtan Street, Jilin City, Jilin Province
Date of Death: May 7th, 2012
Date of Most Recent Arrest: April 27th, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Xinsheng Prison in Gongzhuling City
City: Jilin
Province: Jilin
Persecution Suffered: Brainwashing, beatings, hung up, imprisonment, torture, extortion, home ransacked, interrogation, detention
Key Persecutors: Zhang Daibing, Tang Rihong, Li Wenyan, Li Changjie

Mr. Ma Zhanfang, 74, began practising Falun Gong in 1998, from which he and his family benefited a lot. However, after the large-scale persecution of Falun Gong started in July of 1999, Mr. Ma was continually persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) because of his belief. His home was ransacked, and he was detained and imprisoned. Mr. Ma was arrested on April 27th, 2011 and sentenced to six and a half years in prison. He was taken to the Xinsheng Prison in Gongzhuling City. He passed away on May 7th, 2012, after several months of imprisonment. The prison authorities forcibly took his body to the Fenghuangshan Mortuary. Mr. Ma Zhanfang's son, Ma Jun, is now representing his family to appeal, requesting punishment for all the responsible parties as well as compensation.

1. Mr. Ma Arrested

On the night of April 27th, 2012 and on the next morning, the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) of Jilin Province, in collusion with the 610 Office of Jilin City and police stations of the sub-districts, took a massive action to arrest local Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Ma was arrested and persecuted in this action by the Jilin City Police Department, the 610 Office, Longtan District Police Department as well as Xin'an Police Station. The door of Mr. Ma's home was opened by the passkey before he was arrested and his home was ransacked.

Around 7:00pm on April 27th, one of Mr. Ma's daughters couldn't get in contact with her father, and immediately asked her brother, Mr. Ma Jun, to go and check on him. When the son arrived at his father's home at around 9:00pm, he couldn't find him but saw six or seven policemen searching the home. Once they saw Mr. Ma Jun, two of them grabbed his arms. Mr. Ma asked, “What are you doing here late at night? Where is my father?” One of them answered, “At the police station.” Mr. Ma noticed that the room was in a mess, with the chair on the ground and his father's pants on the bed.

Later, the police brought Mr. Ma Jun to Xin'an Police Station of Longtan District, forced him to sign a document and asked, “Who practises Falun Gong in your family? Where do your sisters live?” Mr. Ma replied, “Why do you ask me if you know the answer?” Then the son was released as he is not a Falun Gong practitioner.

The police ransacked Mr. Ma's home throughout the night until 4:00 in the morning, and confiscated a printer, a computer, a DVD burner, DVDs and several boxes of smart cards. Since Mr. Ma lived alone, it is impossible to check how many other belongings were taken away.

Also, around 9:00pm on the same night, the police from Xin'an Police Station knocked on the door of Mr. Ma Zhanfang's daughter, Ms. Ma Jie's home, but with no answer. Then they tried to break into her home with a passkey, but failed. The police seem to have stayed outside her home for a long time because Ms. Ma found cigarette butts everywhere by the door.

Mr. Ma was transferred from Jilin City Detention Centre. Without being permitted to meet their father, Mr. Ma's children were anxious that the senior man might not be able to withstand the persecution. The son was rejected every time he requested to meet his father. The police said, “We treat your father very well. We offer him a seat every time he is interrogated.” Actually, from the officer's facial expression and tone, the son could tell that his father was not well in the detention centre.

2. Secretly Tried and Sentenced by Falsified Evidence

The first secret trial of Mr. Ma Zhanfang was on August 17th, 2011 after several months of detention. His family was not informed and there was no evidence. It was Mr. Ma's lawyer who told his family about the secret trial.

The court session was postponed the day before. However, a week before the second session, the lawyer called Mr. Ma's children and said he was under too much pressure to continue this case. Mr. Ma's family contacted many lawyers, only to find that no one could work for Mr. Ma because they would have their licenses revoked once they defended Falun Gong practitioners. Therefore, Mr. Ma's family could not find out from anyone that Mr. Ma had been sentenced to six years and six months, as well as being transferred from Jilin City Detention Centre to Xinsheng Prison in Gongzhuling City.

Mr. Ma's family hadn't got any written information or notice since he was arrested in 2011. Later, his children found in their late father's pocket a verdict by Longtan District Court in Jilin City – the only written document they got. The date of this verdict is December 27th, 2011, with chief judge Tang Rihong, acting judge Zheng Zhuo and Yan Jingtie, and acting clerk Xia Shuang. Moreover, all the deponents and testimonies were fabricated. Longtan District Procuratorate instructed procurators Li Yanwen and Li Changjie to appear in court to support such evidence and directly participate in the persecution. The verdict even includes a false testimony from Mr. Ma Jun, Mr. Ma Zhanfang's son, saying that “it is confirmed that Mr. Ma Zhanfang's son lives together with his father; and the police found publications of Falun Gong materials.” But in fact, Mr. Ma Zhanfang lived alone, which was written clearly when his home was ransacked. According to Mr. Ma Jun, on the night that his father was arrested, he was taken to Longtan District Police Department and was forced to give confessions under torture, and to sign on a blank paper. In addition, there are testimonies by some Falun Gong practitioners, which are also confirmed fabricated.

3. Persecuted to Death

Mr. Ma Zhanfang was in serious health due to severe persecution. The prison authorities postponed medical treatment, resulting in his death on May 7th, 2012.

In the appeal, Mr. Ma Jun stated, “I received a call from the prison guard that my father had asked me to visit him on May 4 because of illness. I was shocked when I met him. Incoherent, he was unable to walk by himself, and had to be supported by the arms, which was totally different from the last time I had seen him on April 13th, just 21 days ago. Because my father was unable to communicate with me, I had to ask the guard to have my father treated as soon as possible and we could pay for it. I deposited 1,500 yuan¹ in my father's prison account at that time even though there was still enough money.”

Mr. Ma Jun was worried and went to visit his father on May 7. However, before he reached the prison, he received a call, “Your father requested to be in hospital, so you'd better come and see him.” Then he immediately hired a cab to get to the Downtown Hospital of Gongzhuling. On his way, he received another call, “Don't come. You are not allowed to see him.” Two or three minutes later, he was again called and was told, “Come to Room 560 right now.” However, Mr. Ma Zhanfang had already passed away by the time his son got to see him. According to the director of the hospital, Mr. Ma was dying when he was sent to hospital.

4. Persecuted Many Times Previously

On September 30th, 2000, Mr. Ma Zhanfang was intercepted in Jilin Train Station when he was going to Beijing to appeal for the right to practise Falun Gong, and was held for 15 days in Jilin City Detention Centre.

On August 8th, 2001, Mr. Ma was trailed by the police when he was in a food market. He was arrested there and sent to Jilin Detention Centre for 37 days. The day after he was released, he was coaxed by Xin'an Police Station, and was sent to a brainwashing session for several days.

Around 8:00 p.m. on August 25th, 2006, some policemen knocked on the door when Mr. Ma was sleeping, and his home was ransacked immediately after he opened the door. After they took away all his Falun Gong books, some DVDs and cassettes, Mr. Ma was sent to the Jilin Detention Centre. The detention centre refused to admit him because he failed to pass the physical examination. He was detained in Xin'an Police Station for a night and released the next day.

Later, the police came and harassed him many times. Once, they even claimed that he was approved to be imprisoned in the labour camp for one year, which forced Mr. Ma to leave home for two years to avoid being further persecuted. During the Beijing Olympic Games, officers of Xin'an Police Station again harassed Mr. Ma for one day and attempted to arrest him but failed.

Work units related to the persecution of Mr. Ma:
Xin'an Police Station: +86-432-63039868
Xinsheng Prison in Gongzhuling City: +86-434-3039658
Jilin City 610 Office: 86 Beijing Road, Jilin City, Jilin Province, China, 132011
Jilin City Domestic Security Division: 51 Beijing Road, Jilin City, Jilin Province, China, 132011

Note

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