(Minghui.org) Around 4 a.m. on July 22, 2020, the Gaomi City, Shandong Province authorities dispatched over 400 police officers and arrested nearly 50 Falun Gong practitioners and family members in one day. One practitioner’s three grandchildren, between one-and-a-half years old and five years old, were also taken into custody.
The massive arrests came only two days after the 21st anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual and meditation practice that has been targeted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
The police ransacked the practitioners’ homes and confiscated cellphones, computers, printers, cash, Falun Gong books, and photos of Falun Gong’s founder. Some practitioners’ home keys and private cars were also impounded.
Most police officers didn’t show any search warrants. Some briefly showed their IDs upon the practitioners’ request. When one practitioner demanded to see their IDs more closely, an officer responded, “I’ve already shown it to you. That’s good enough. Why do you have so many problems? It’s so easy for us to straighten you (Falun Gong practitioners) out. We can do anything we want. Even if we torture you to death, no one would dare say anything.”
One practitioner questioned the police as to why their family members were arrested even though they didn’t practice Falun Gong. The police replied, “That’s because you practice it. Three generations above and after you will receive the ‘benefit’ of your practicing.”
Some practitioners had money extorted by the police, from 1,000 to 5,000 yuan. The police only accepted cash. The practitioners’ families suspected that the police didn’t want to leave digital evidence of their extortion.
At the police stations, the practitioners were interrogated while handcuffed and shackled to metal chairs. Some were beaten and verbally abused. Some officers also verbally abused the founder of Falun Gong. All practitioners had their blood forcibly drawn. Some police threatened the practitioners and their families not to expose the persecution to the Minghui website after they were released.
Below are some details of the arrests of several of the families.
Mr. Qu Hongbo, his wife Ms. Zhu Ping and their daughter Ms. Qu Yajing, were arrested before 6 a.m. Three staff members working at their family store, who didn’t practice Falun Gong, were also arrested. Ms. Qu and their three employees were held in custody for more than 30 hours without being given any food or drink. Although Mr. Qu and Ms. Zhu were released around 6 p.m. on July 24, their private car, cellphones and bank cards were still withheld by the police.
Mr. Tang Zhengmin and his wife Ms. Du Xiaoyan had 6,800 yuan in cash, a Samsung camera, a laptop, two cellphones, one mp3, and many Falun Gong-related materials confiscated. Ms. Du’s mother, her mother’s neighbor Ms. Zhou Gezhuang, and Ms. Du’s aunt, Ms. Yan, were also arrested. Ms. Du was released on July 23 and Mr. Tang was released on bail on July 24. He was ordered to pay a 20,000-yuan bail bond.
Ms. Zheng Huixiang was arrested around 4:30 a.m. Her three computers, printer, a TV and a DVD player, ten cellphones, 2,000 yuan in cash, four copies of Falun Gong books and dozens of copies of Falun Gong materials, were confiscated. Her private car was also seized. Ms. Zheng’s husband, son, daughter-in-law, daughter and three grandchildren (between one-and-a-half years and five years old), were all taken into custody. Ms. Zheng was released on July 24 and her family was extorted for 5,000 yuan.
Mr. Li Ruiqing and his wife Ms. Shan also had their cellphones and car confiscated. Mr. Li was later extorted for 20,000 yuan and released on July 24.
Other practitioners who had money extorted included, Ms. Tang Yuhua (5,000 yuan); Ms. Zhang Xiuhua (5,000 yuan: the police demanded 20,000 yuan but her family only agreed to pay 5,000 yuan); Ms. Mao Yongchun (5,000 yuan); and Mr. Sun Lizheng (1,000 yuan).
Other practitioners arrested on July 22 include:
Ms. Hu Shixin and her husband; Ms. Zheng Guixiang; Mr. Sun Lizheng’s wife; Ms. Xue Jianxin; Ms. Yan Suhua; Ms. Yan Suxiang; Ms. Cai Yuxia; Ms. Jiao Shumei; Ms. Guan Cuiling; Ms. Li Hua; Mr. Li Deshan; Ms. Gao Yuling and her family; Ms. Qu Shufeng and her family; Ms. Zhang Xiuhua and her family; Ms. Mao Yongfang, her husband and daughter; Ms. Chen Xiuzhen (in her 70s); Ms. Dai Qiuxia; Ms. Li Yufang; and one female practitioner who was visiting her son in Gaomi.
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