The police held her husband for five months as hostage to arrest her. The court deprived her right of counsel and held a secret trial. None of her family members were informed.

Ms. Luo Juan of Chenzhou City, Hunan Province Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Name: Lou Juan (罗娟)
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Address: Chenzhou City, Hunan Province
Occupation: Office staff in Chenzhou City Health Bureau
Date of Most Recent Arrest: February 16, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Chenzhou City Detention Center (郴州市看守所)
City: Chenzhou
Province: Hunan
Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing, forced injections/drug administration, beatings, hanging up, imprisonment, torture, force-feedings, extortion, interrogation, detention

Beihu District Court in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province sentenced Ms. Luo Juan to six years in prison on May 17, 2010. Ms. Luo had been enduring torture in a detention center and passed out on one occasion.

Ms. Luo Juan, also known as Luo Ting, is a staff at Chenzhou City Health Bureau. She began practicing Falun Gong around 2006.

In August 2007, Ms. Luo managed to flee from the scene after she was arrested. The Domestic Security Team of Beihu District Police Precinct subsequently arrested her husband, a non-practitioner, holding him hostage for five months and depriving him of an opportunity to study abroad. It is said that his family paid the CCP Political and Judiciary Committee, the 610 Office, and the police 150,000 yuan for his release. The police also registered Ms. Luo on a nationwide wanted list.

Ms. Luo fled to Kunming City, Yunnan Province. The police arrested her in a hotel around 1:00 a.m. on February 16, 2010. She was detained at Kunming Detention Center.

On February 29, 2010, Kunming City police transferred Ms. Luo to Beihu District Police Precinct in Chenzhou City. She refused to answer questions or sign documents during interrogations, and went on a hunger strike in Chenzhou City Detention Center. Guards tied her up on a metal board, and subjected her to forced injections and brutal force-feedings. She suffered such severe injuries that she passed out. Afterwards, she was sent to the emergency room.

Under orders from the City 610 Office, Beihu District Court held a secret trial for Ms. Luo on May 17, 2010. None of her family members were informed. She was also deprived of her right of counsel.

After Ms. Luo's family got the news, they went to question Zhang Heping, the 610 Office director, who did not give a straight answer. They went to question the District Court on May 19. Court staffs confirmed the trial, and claimed that Ms. Luo was a competent adult who was unwilling to provide her home phone number. They also claimed to have informed Ms. Luo's employer, Chenzhou City Health Bureau, which sent someone to audit. But the Health Bureau denied the claim upon inquiry of the family.

Ms. Luo was sentenced to six years in prison.