Elderly senior retired engineer Mr. Yang Jianzhong, a Falun Gong practitioner since 1996,  was arrested in July 2008 and much of his personal property confiscated. He is reported to have been hospitalized in October 2008.

On the afternoon of March 20, 2008, the police arrested Ms. Gu Li and Ms. Qiu Shuping, both from Jinzhou District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province. After being detained for over six months, Ms. Gu was secretly sentenced to three years and Ms. Qiu to four years in prison. Both have appealed their cases.

Mr. Yang Jianzhong, 70 Years Old, Is Persecuted in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province

Seventy-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Yang Jianzhong was a senior engineer at Aerospace Factory 7111 located in Wenjiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. He used to suffer from many diseases including stomach problems and dizziness. He often passed out when using the restroom. In 1996, he started to practice Falun Gong. As a result, his mind and body changed tremendously.

He benefited greatly from Falun Gong and saved a great deal of medical expenses for Factory 7111. Nevertheless, being controlled and instigated by the Chinese Communist Party, Factory 7111 authorities issued an order in March 2008 to forcibly take Yang Jianzhong to Xinjin Brainwashing Center and make him renounce his faith in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Under tremendous pressure when he received the order, Yang Jianzhong left his home at the beginning of April and lived a homeless life.

Missing his home, Yang Jianzhong secretly returned around 3:00 p.m. on July 6. Unfortunately, he was seen by a CCP officer. At about 5:00 p.m., his phone rang. For the sake of security, he did not pick it up. At about 8:20 a.m., July 7, Yang Jianzhong went out to buy breakfast. When he returned at about 8:50 a.m., Liu Xu from the Security Department of Factory 7111 was waiting for him at his front door.

As he tried to go into his home Yang Jianzhong was forcibly taken away by a dozen people who were following him. These included Wu Tao from the Security Department, Liu Xu and police from Gongping Police Station. They came in three police vehicles and two wagons. They handcuffed Yang Jianzhong's hands behind his back, took mug shots from the left, right, front and back, then forced him into a police vehicle. At the Gongping Police Station, he was cruelly beaten, transported to the Wenjiang Detention Center and locked up. His captors stole his house key and returned to his home. They illegally searched his home and confiscated his personal property. They stole his pension savings of 1,000 yuan.

According to an investigation on August 20, Yang Jianzhong was taken to Xinjin Brainwashing Center and tortured. It was reported that he was taken to a hospital in Wuhou District, Chengdu City on October 9, and forced to take unknown medications. Authorities claimed that Yang Jianzhong suffered from a terminal disease, but they would not allow this information to be released to the public.

Ms. Gu Li and Ms. Qiu Shuping Secretly Sentenced in Dalian City (Photos)

Ms. Gu Li being arrested

Ms. Gu Li, in her 40s, was a nurse at the 2nd People's Hospital in Jinzhou District. She lives in Xishan Community, Dengshahe Town, Jinzhou District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province. Ms. Gu began practicing Falun Gong in 1996 and became a person who loved to help others .Plus, she was a diligent and responsible worker. Her child became healthier as well. After the Chinese Communist Party began the persecution in July 1999, Ms. Gu was disturbed when she saw other people deceived by the slander about Falun Gong. She would explain to people how she benefited from the practice and would clarify the facts about the persecution in her spare time.

On the afternoon of March 20, 2008, while Ms. Gu and Ms. Qiu were telling people about the persecution of Falun Gong at a local village, two villagers, Cong Jixiang and Xing Youli, reported them to the authorities. Sun Tong, a police officer from Dengshahe Town Police Station, and three security officers arrested them on their way home and took them to the police station. At 5:00 p.m that day, police officers ransacked the two practitioners' homes and confiscated their personal belongings. The police tried to deceive them during the interrogation.

Ms. Qiu Shuping being arrested

Ms. Qiu Shuping, in her 40s, is a housewife. She lives in Xiaoliutun, Nanguan Village, Dengshahe Town, Jinzhou District. On the afternoon of March 20, 2008, Ms. Qiu was arrested along with Ms. Gu Li. At 3:30 p.m. that day, she was taken to the Sanli Detention Center in the Jinzhou District. Zhao Yue, a police officer from the Dengshahe Police Station, who had participated in the arrest of many practitioners, also participated in the arrests of Ms. Gu and Ms. Qiu.

At 3:30 p.m. on March 21, 2008, Ms. Gu was taken to Pulandian Detention Center.

On August 27, 2008, the Jinzhou District Court tried Ms. Gu and Ms. Qiu. One of Ms. Gu's friends represented her and defended her innocence. A lawyer represented Ms. Qiu and defended her. The lawyer's defense emphasized that the law cannot determine whether a belief system is a cult. The lawyer stated that the law cannot judge what a cult is, because it is not a legal question. The CCP made an incorrect accusation that Ms. Qiu undermined enforcement of the law. However, Ms. Qiu didn't know which law she had undermined the enforcement of, nor did she know how to undermine enforcement of the law. Even the judge and the prosecutor could not figure out which law she had supposedly undermined. As a result, there was no verdict in this case.

After the lawyer's defense, the judge only said one sentence: "Participating in a cult organization is damaging the execution of the law." The lawyers immediately pointed out that this was an incorrect concept and was a misunderstanding of criminal law.

The two defense lawyers gave very strong arguments. During the trial, the court guards, the court personnel, the judge, and the prosecutor listened very carefully to their defending arguments. It was felt that all of the people on the court understood the points the lawyers were trying to convey and learned the absurdity of the false accusations against the practitioners. Over a dozen family members attended the court that day, some of whom had had a misunderstanding about Falun Gong. But after the hearing, their attitude changed and they realized that their relatives were innocent.

The court secretly reached a verdict. Ms. Gu was sentenced to three years in prison and Ms. Qiu was sentenced to four years in prison.