(Minghui.org) After multiple arrests this year and last, at least 14 Falun Gong practitioners remain in custody in Shenzhen (not including those taken to prisons in other cities). Details are as follows.
Ms. Tong Lin, a senior finance analyst, was illegally arrested in February 2014. Her home was searched.
Prior to the February arrest, Ms. Tong has been persecuted by the Baoan District 610 Office and the Domestic Security Division on three different occasions. She was imprisoned for three and a half years in Guangzhou Women's Prison.
Officers from the Baoan District State Security Division broke into Ms. Mo Xiaoyan's calligraphy class in April 2014. They arrested her while she was teaching, and closed down her class. Ms. Mo had frequently accompanied Ms. Tong Lin's family to the police to demand the release of practitioners, which may be the reason the police retaliated by arresting her.
Ms. Tong and Ms. Mo are being held in the Jiuwei Detention Center in Baoan District.
Officers from the Guiyuan Police Station broke into Ms. Jiang Yimin's home in February 2014. They confiscated paper currency bills with information about Falun Gong printed on them, other materials exposing the persecution, a printer, a computer and other personal belongings. Ms. Jiang is currently held in the Luohu Detention Center. Her family has hired a lawyer to defend her.
In June 2014, Ms. Gao Yuan was arrested at home by officers from the Guiyuan Police Station. The officers took a computer, a printer, money with information about Falun Gong printed on it and other items. She is being held in the Luohu Detention Center.
It has been reported that Ms. Gao suffered retaliation by the police for accompanying Ms. Jiang Yimin's family to demand the release of Ms. Jiang and other practitioners.
Ms. Gao Lizhen, from the Luohu District, was arrested in 2013. Her home was searched. She is being held in the Luohu Detention Center. The police did not notify her family to send money or clothing, as is customarily done when a family member is incarcerated. Ms. Gao wants to get legal assistance, but she hasn't been able to get in touch with her son to help her find an attorney.
The police arrested Mr. Zhang Maoxiang in early 2013 for talking to people about Falun Gong. The officers then arrested Mr. Li Yanling. Both practitioners are teachers at the Buxin Training Center in Luohu District, where traditional culture is taught based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The students excel in all subjects, and parents were anxious to get their children enrolled in the school. After the arrest of the two practitioners, however, other teachers were forced to leave under police pressure, and the training center was closed down.
Another practitioner currently held in the Luohu Detention Center is Mr. Zhang Weiguo. He was sentenced to three years in prison for hanging a banner worded “Falun Dafa is Good” on a mountainside.
Ms. Yu Daoping was arrested at home in July 2014. The police searched her home and took Falun Dafa books, other Dafa materials, a cell phone and a computer. Because she persevered in practicing Falun Gong, the police often followed her car. The authorities also staked people out downstairs at her building to watch her.
Ms. Yu's family has been to the police station several times demanding her release. Shen Liguo, an officer from the Shekou Police Station, rejected their demands. Shen said that Ms. Yu's family “does not understand the rules,” which was hint that the family pay him a bribe. Shen also wanted to go to Ms. Yu's home to videotape, as part of so-called “evidence gathering. “After being refused by the family, Shen made several phone calls to harass Ms. Yu's husband.
Ms. Yan Wei was arrested at her office in June 2014. The police searched her home. She is being held in the Futian Detention Center. It has been reported that she was turned in to the police while distributing Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs in the family quarters affiliated with the police, Procuratorate, and court systems.
Ms. Zhao Xiurong was arrested in September 2013 after being turned in to the police by a residential security guard. The Futian District Court held a trial against her on February 28, 2014. She was sentenced to three years in prison on May 15.
Mr. Wang Xiangyu, Ms. Zhong Yingchun and Ms. Chen Hengmei were attending a gathering at a friend's home during the Chingming Festival in 2013, when officers from the 610 Office broke in and arrested them. Ms. Zhong was sentenced to three years in prison, and Mr. Wang to four years. Ms. Zhong was taken to the Guangzhou Women's Prison. Mr. Wang is being held in the Beijiang Prison in Shaoguan City. Ms. Chen was taken to the Xili Brainwashing Center. Five months later, she was transferred to the Sanshui Brainwashing Center.