Attorney Wei Liangyue Imprisoned, His Family Calls for Help

Name: Wei Liangyue
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Address: Harbin, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Lawyer
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 25th, 2012
Most Recent Place of Detention: Unknown
Persecution Suffered: Detention

Attorney Mr. Wei Liangyue from Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, has defended Falun Gong practitioners in many cases. On May 25th, 2012, officers Liu Min from Dacheng Police Station and Zhou Songbin from the Nangang District Domestic Security Brigade arrested Wei at his home. So far his whereabouts are unknown. His family is urging everyone to pay attention to the case.

Wang Liguo, captain of Nangang Domestic Security Brigade, arrested Wei in 2009. In every interrogation, Wang asked Wei about his cases of defending Falun Gong practitioners. Wang had a list of cases Wei handled in the past, some of them so old that even Wei did not remember them. Wei was incarcerated for 30 days and, without any legal procedures having been followed, he was released.

On May 25th, 2012, police arrested Wei again. On May 28th, Wei's family met with Gong Zhibin, the director of Nangang District Public Safety Bureau who was in charge of the Domestic Security Brigade. Gong told Wei's lawyer, Xie Yanbin, to call back on Monday. Wei's family called on Monday and Gong told them to see Zhou Songbin from the Domestic Security Brigade. Zhou told the family that Zhang (first name unknown), a chief at the Nangang District 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), had initiated the arrest.

Wei's family found Zhang and asked him about Wei. Zhang and another chief from the 610 Office, Yan (first name unknown), said that Wei was detained in a “learning centre” (brainwashing centre) and could not be reached. Zhang said that the [brainwashing] class was held every year in every district in Harbin and, since it was an “educational” class, no legal papers needed to be filed. Zhang also frequently stressed that he only talks to families, not lawyers. Zhang and Yan swore Wei was safe. Two people from Dacheng Community, Ma and Fan (first names unknown), said that they have bought Wei good quality undershirts and had the secretary of the community stay in the same room with Wei around the clock.

A few days before Wei was taken away, a good friend of his and human rights attorneys Guo Lianhui and Dong Qianyong happened to be in Harbin and visited him. The very next day, several people went to Wei's wife's registered address and asked around. They left a phone number, which was later found to be phony. Wei also received a phone call from a person who claimed to be a policewoman from Dacheng Street Police Station in the Nangang District and asked him about Falun Gong.

At 6:30 a.m. on May 25th, a person called Wei, telling him that his car had been hit and that he should go out and check. Wei ignored the call because his car was parked in his garage. Liu Min from Dacheng Street Police Station kept knocking on his door, lying about his car being hit. When Wei went outside to reason with him, 20 police officers seized him and took him away.

In the morning on May 26th, Wei's friend, the attorney Xie Yanyi, from Beijing rushed to Harbin after learning what had happened. Xie and Wei's family went to Dacheng Street Police Station. The officer on duty, Wu Xinpeng (badge number 017663), called officer Li Senlin. Li told Wu that Zhou Songbin, captain of Nangang Domestic Security Brigade, ordered Liu Min, duty officer of the day, and a group of officers from Nangang Domestic Security Team to arrest Wei. After Xie contacted Zhou, Zhou claimed that he had nothing to do with it. Xie then called Gong Zhibin, the director of Nangang District Public Safety Bureau. Gong told Xie that he knew Wei was being illegally detained and would give Xie a reason later.

In Chinese law, a public servant who unlawfully restricts an individual's freedom for over 24 hours has committed a crime of illegal detention. On May 27th, Wei's friends attorney Dong Qianyong from Beijing and attorney Guo Lianhui from Jiangxi came to Harbin to meet with Wei's family. Together they visited Dacheng Street Police Station and Nangang District Public Safety Bureau. It was a Sunday and they only met with the officer on duty. Guo called Zhou, but he was out of town.

After Wei was detained, his 80-year-old mother cried every day. His family appealed to different levels of government offices for his immediate release.

Those who directly participated in the persecution of Wei:

Zhang and Yan, chiefs from Nangang District 610 Office: +86-0451-82734407
Gong Zhibin, the director of Nangang District Public Safety Bureau, +86-13946008787
Nangang District Domestic Security Brigade: +86-0451-87664175
Zhou Songbin, captain of Nangang District Domestic Security Brigade, +86-0451-8766431 (o), +86-18845168110, +86-13303609772
Members of Nangang District Domestic Security Brigade: Pan Zhengfeng, Shan Guochen, Ma Fushan, Gao Changxing, Hao Xidong, Xue Hui, Han Zheng, Guan Pingkun, Gao Yinghui, Zhang Li'an, Yuan Tao, Tong Da, Fan Xiangrui, Yin Songbo, Lo Binfeng.

Dacheng Street Police Station:
Gao Shi, chief: +86-0451-82269588
Officers：
Liu Min
Wu Xinpeng: +86-13936005978
Zhang Yuandong: +86-13633631068
Li Senlin: +86-13945171561