(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 14 cities or counties in 7 provinces. According to this report, at least 34 practitioners were illegally arrested.
1. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Ms. Wu Yinglan Detained
2. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Four Practitioners Detained
3. [Guan County, Shandong Province] Mr. Liu Zhen and Mr. Xu Qinghong Detained
4. [Macheng City, Hubei Province] Ms. Zhou Ailing and Ms. Mao Yuanrong Arrested
5. [Qidong County, Hunan Province] Ms. Deng Honghua Arrested
6. [Beijing] Mr. Tao Yongchun and Wife Ms. Xu Lingli Detained
7. [Guiyang City, Guizhou Province] Blood Samples Forcibly Taken from Ms. Song Lianying
8. [Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province] Mr. Ma Liguang Detained
9. [Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province] Mr. Wang Zhuang Arrested
10. [Tianjin] Ms. Meng Huan Sentenced
11. [Tieling City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Wu Yuping Tried
12. [Luzhou City, Sichuan Province] Hearing Held for Mr. Liao Ting’s Appeal
13. [Fushun, Liaoning Province] 14 Practitioners Formally Arrested in July 2016
14. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Mr. Zhao Chengyao Sentenced
15. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhang Lixue and Ms. Gan Xuemei Held for More Than Six Months
16. [Shanghai] Ms. Qiu Xiaomin Facing Trial
1. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Ms. Wu Yinglan Detained
Ms. Wu Yinglan was arrested by officers from the Tianqiao District Police Station at the end of September 2016 for talking to people about Falun Gong. She is detained at the Zhonggong Detention Center.
2. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Four Practitioners Detained
Ms. Li Yulan, Ms. Lin Yanzhen, and two other practitioners were arrested for posting Falun Gong materials in Changqing District on September 27, 2016. The four practitioners are held in the Jinan City Detention Center.
3. [Guan County, Shandong Province] Mr. Liu Zhen and Mr. Xu Qinghong Detained
Mr. Liu Zhen and Mr. Xu Qinghong (from Yangerzhuang Village, Bachalu Town, Linqing City) were arrested by officers from the Beitao Police Station at the order of Yao Guangmin, director, on September 28, 2016 for talking to people about Falun Gong in Beitao Township. Both practitioners were transferred from the Beitao Police Station to the Guan County Police Department and then to the Liaocheng Detention Center by Liu Tao, squadron leader at the Guan County Domestic Security Division. Mr. Liu was detained for 10 days, Mr. Xu for 12 days.
Participants in the persecution of Mr. Liu and Mr. Xu:Yao Guangmin (么光民), director, Beitao Police Station: +86-6355670013Liu Tao (刘涛), squadron leader, Guan County Domestic Security Division: +86-13370957111
4. [Macheng City, Hubei Province] Ms. Zhou Ailing and Ms. Mao Yuanrong Arrested
Ms. Zhou Ailing and Ms. Mao Yuanrong were arrested by officers from the Longchi Police Station for talking to people about Falun Gong in urban areas on the afternoon of October 1, 2016. Ms. Mao was released that evening. Ms. Zhou was sent to the Macheng City Detention Center.
5. [Qidong County, Hunan Province] Ms. Deng Honghua Arrested
Ms. Deng Honghua from Tianhe Village, Jiangjiaqiao Town was arrested by officers from the Fengzhiping Police Station on September 14, 2016 for distributing Falun Gong materials. Her whereabouts are unknown.
6. [Beijing] Mr. Tao Yongchun and Wife Ms. Xu Lingli Detained
Mr. Tao Yongchun and his wife, Ms. Xu Lingli, were arrested on July 17, 2016. The couple are held in the Chaoyang Detention Center.
7. [Guiyang City, Guizhou Province] Blood Samples Forcibly Taken from Ms. Song Lianying
Officers from the Shijicheng Police Station, Guanshanhu District broke into Ms. Song Lianying's home in the Longjinyuan Residential Community, Guanshanhu District on August 22, 2016. They confiscated a notebook computer and Falun Gong books. Ms. Song was taken to the police station, where officers forcibly took blood samples from her. She was not released until early the next morning.
8. [Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province] Mr. Ma Liguang Detained
Mr. Ma Liguang from Heishan County was arrested by Wang Weijing and other officers from the Heishan County Police Department's Domestic Security Division on August 8, 2016. He was taken to the Jinzhou Detention Center. The police have transferred Mr. Ma's case documents to the Heishan Court.
Participants in the persecution of Mr. Ma:Kang Yingjian (康赢建), president of Heishan County Court: +86-416-5593001Zhang Chunfeng (张春风), deputy president: +86-13841642171, +86-416-2776900Lu Demin (吕德民), deputy president: +86-13104062688, +86-416-5593002, +86-416-5525686Liu Li (刘力), judge: +86-13940620519Chang Wansheng (常万生): +86-18941601267
9. [Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province] Mr. Wang Zhuang Arrested
Mr. Wang Zhuang, 60, was arrested around July 10 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong.
This is not the first time Mr. Wang has been targeted for his faith. He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2003. His wife divorced him, and he moved in with his father after his release.
Jiamusi police kept close surveillance of Mr. Wang while he was living with his father. In order to avoid arrest, he fled Jiamusi and moved to Dalian.
Mr. Wang returned to Jiamusi in July after his 85-year-old father took a fall and broke some bones. Not long afterwards, both Jiamusi and Dalian police came and arrested him.
His father and siblings are calling for his release.
10. [Tianjin] Ms. Meng Huan Sentenced
Ms. Meng Huan was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for filing a criminal complaint against former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin for intiating the persecution of Falun Gong.
The 60-year-old woman was arrested on September 19, 2015 for talking to her local street committee about her lawsuit against Jiang. Her home was ransacked the next day, and she was transferred to the Xiqing District Detention Center two days later.
Ms. Meng had already been sentenced to prison once for her faith. She was given 4 years in 2007 and suffered brutal torture in prison.
11. [Tieling City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Wu Yuping Tried
Ms. Wu Yuping was tried on September 22 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Two lawyers defended her constitutional right to freedom of belief. They pointed out that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong, and thus demanded her acquittal.
Prosecutor Sun Aimin kept interrupting the lawyers and Ms. Wu as they were presenting their defense arguments. Rather than address Sun's behavior, Judge Jiang Yingwei instead warned the lawyers to not mention anything about the legality of Falun Gong.
12. [Luzhou City, Sichuan Province] Hearing Held for Mr. Liao Ting’s Appeal
Mr. Liao Ting was sentenced to 4 years in prison shortly after he was tried on April 19, 2016 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong.
He filed an appeal to the Luzhou City Intermediate Court, which held a hearing on September 27.
Mr. Liao and his two lawyers reiterated his constitutional right to freedom of belief, as no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. The judge adjourned the appeal hearing without issuing a decision.
13. [Fushun, Liaoning Province] 14 Practitioners Formally Arrested in July 2016
Fourteen practitioners were formally arrested and face indictment for holding firm to Falun Gong.
Dong Weirong, Hu Fengqiu, Xu Guirong, Pan Fude, Lv Qing, Li Mingyun, Liu Fengjuan, Jiang Shunai, Li Gang, Li Yanrong, Qin Zengyun, Peng Jie, Liu Fengling, and Zhang Guiping are among the 20 plus local Falun Gong practitioners arrested over the course of three days in July 2016.
Many of the practitioners also had their homes ransacked by the police and valuables taken.
14. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Mr. Zhao Chengyao Sentenced
Mr. Zhao Chengyao and his mother, Ms. Cheng Shuxiang, were arrested at night on July 2, 2014. Mr. Zhao has been detained in the Jinan Detention Center for more than 27 months. His case was heard multiple times. He was recently sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
15. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhang Lixue and Ms. Gan Xuemei Held for More Than Six Months
Ms. Zhang Lixue from Chengdu and Ms. Gan Xuemei from Dujiangyan were arrested on March 3, 2016 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. They have been held in the Youai Town Detention Center.
The Dujiangyan Procuratorate conducted two additional investigations due to insufficient evidence.
Ms. Zhang was tortured both mentally and physically in detention. Her mental state has diminished as a result. Her persecution case has drawn attention from U.S. Congress members and was mentioned in a letter drafted by Member of Congress Dave Reichert and co-signed by five other members of congress. The letter was sent to the office of Chinese President Xi Jinping in June 2016.
16. [Shanghai] Ms. Qiu Xiaomin Facing Trial
Ms. Qiu Xiaomin was arrested on April 28, 2016 and has been detained in the Jing’an Detention Center for more than 5 months. The Jingan Procuratorate sent her case to the Chabei District Court in September. Ms. Qiu is facing trial.
Her family met with many obstacles and hired lawyers four times for her case. Her lawyer went to the Procuratorate and requested to read her case file on August 4. The Procuratorate created many difficulties, and the lawyer was not given access to her file.
