Mr. Zhang Gongmei, age 73, was a retired worker from the Xianan District of Hubei Province. From 1982 to 1995, Mr. Zhang was seriously ill. He was one of those who spent a lot of money on medical expenses. After taking up the practice of Falun Dafa in 1996, his health quickly recovered. From 1996 to 2005, he wasn't sick at all. When the practice of Falun Gong was officially banned in 1999 by the Chinese government, Mr. Zhang went to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, then later to Beijing to appeal for the restoration of the right to practice Falun Dafa. When the persecution was at its peak, he stopped practicing for a while. Later, however, Mr. Zhang started to practice again, and he clarified the truth and distributed materials in support of Falun Dafa. The police considered Mr. Zhang's case as a typical "Falun Dafa case." They ransacked his house, confiscated his property, and later took him away to be brainwashed. Mr. Zhang died of torture on July 23, 2005.