(Minghui.org) A 73-year-old resident of Fengtai District, Beijing was indicted at the end of September 2024 for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
This is not the first time that Ms. Zhang Xiufen has been targeted for her faith. She previously served three labor camp terms for a total of six years. She lost vision in one eye due to the beating during her third labor camp term. She was arrested again in early October 2016 and later sentenced to four and a half years.
Details of Latest Persecution
Ms. Zhang’s latest ordeal stemmed from her initial arrest on July 5, 2022, after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. While being interrogated at the Qingta Police Station in Fengtai District, she was severely injured after being beaten by eight officers, including Li Ming (badge number 040365), Yu Yang (badge number 040511), and an officer with the badge number 040686.
One 610 Office agent snatched Ms. Zhang’s key and broke into her home. Her Falun Gong books, materials, photo of Falun Gong’s founder, and 1,500 yuan in cash were confiscated.
Due to Ms. Zhang’s injuries, the local detention center refused to accept her. She was released on bail two days later. She went to the hospital and was diagnosed with compression fractures of her ribs, thoracic vertebrae (mid section of the spine that supports the rib cage), and lumbar vertebrae (lower section of the spine that bears the body’s weight).
Chief Liu Jiankun and officer Zhang Yue (+86-10-63813386, +86-1063813317) from the Qingta Police Station harassed Ms. Zhang at home multiple times in June 2023. One month later, they extended her one-year bail.
Officers from the Qingta Police Station arrested Ms. Zhang again at 6:30 a.m. on August 15, 2024 and released her in the afternoon. They told her that they submitted her case to the Fengtai District Procuratorate. She learned later that the following officers were directly involved in pursuing her prosecution: You Huaixin, Tang Yingjie, Wang Qiuyu, Liu Chang, Qiu Ping, and Wang Siyu.
The procuratorate indicted Ms. Zhang at the end of September 2024. She was summoned to the Fengtai District Court soon afterwards to hear a clerk read her indictment out loud. She was shocked to hear that her son was listed as a prosecution witness without his or her knowledge. The prosecutor did so because her son signed her bail paperwork. Her past labor camp and prison terms were also listed as evidence that she was a repeat offender and the prosecutor suggested a heavy prison sentence for her.
Ms. Zhang was allowed to go home after the court session. She later filed complaints against the Qingta Police Station, the Fengtai District Procuratorate and the Fengtai District Court for persecuting a law-abiding citizen like her.
Related Reports:
Beaten by Police, Woman in Her 70s Sustains Multiple Fractures
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