(Clearwisdom.net) From April 2008 to present, twenty practitioners from the Hejian City area have been arrested and detained, and their homes ransacked. At approximately 4:00 p.m. on July 15, 2008, Zhao Heqiao, section chief of the Hejian City Police Department Politics and Security Section, led officers from the Hejian City Police Department and the Guocun Township Police Station, and officials from the Guocun Township government, totaling 100 people, to surround Ms. Zhang Lianzhi's home in Bianbian Village, Guocun Township. They climbed over the wall and ransacked Ms. Zhang's home. They arrested a total of 17 people, including Ms. Zhang and the visitors at her home, Mr. Zhao Tielun, her relatives from Renqiu City, Hebei Province and her friends.

Among the people arrested was Mr. Xu Guoli from the Sijie Village, Chengguan Town. Mr. Xu took his three-wheeled cart to the market every morning to sell fish. In the afternoon, he hauled goods and passengers to support his two children. On that day, Mr. Xu was taking his passengers to Bianbian Village and was arrested. His cart and fish were confiscated, causing the loss of tens of thousands of yuan. This caused a financial strain, and forced his two children to drop out of school to get jobs. Mr. Zhao Tielun is a taxi driver. His sister, Ms. Zhao Xueying, 33, was a teacher at the Hejian City Second Middle School. Ms. Zhao was sentenced to three years of forced labor for practicing Falun Gong and is being detained at the Shijiazhuang City Women's Forced Labor Camp. On July 15, 2008, Mr. Zhao was also arrested. Authorities from the Hejian City Police Department tried secretly to sentence him. Mr. Zhao and other detained practitioners have been on hunger strike for several days. The police ordered medical workers in the Hejian City People's Hospital to force-feed them. With both Mr. Zhao Tielun and Ms. Zhao Xueying imprisoned, their 70-year-old mother is forced to stay alone and take care of herself.

At 10:00 a.m. on April 6, 2008, Zhao Tieqiao, section chief of the Hejian City Police Department Politics and Security Section, and his assistant section chief, Liu Chunyang, along with Gao Jun, the director of the Yingzhou Police Department and 12 police officers, broke into Ms. Ren Yuzhen's home in Yijie Village. They ransacked her home and confiscated her computer and over 1,500 yuan in cash. They arrested Ms. Ren and the visitors at her home, Ms. Cao Junju, and Mr. Yue Shuyu from Beishicao Township. Ms. Cao was released that evening. Warrants for the arrest of Ms. Ren and Mr.Yue were issued and they are still being detained. After Ms. Cao's arrest, the police threatened to arrest her family. Out of fear of being arrested, her husband and three daughters fled their home to live with friends and relatives.

Mr. Yue Shuyu, in his fifties, is single and lives with his elderly mother, who is paralyzed. After his arrest, his mother asked her relatives to go to the police department to request Mr. Yue's release. They asked on several occasions, but were turned down each time. She became so distraught that she made several suicide attempts, but her relatives were able to stop her.

Related perpetrators:

Song Hejing (male), deputy director of Hejian Police Department, in charge of persecution of Falun Gong: 86-317-3224400 (Home), 86-13315783107 (Cell), 86-13703272185 (Cell)
Zhao Tieqiao, section chief of the Hejian City Police Department Politics and Security Section: 86-317-3222090 (Home), 86-13315783168 (Cell)
Liu Chunyand, assistant section chief of the Hejian City Police Department Politics and Security Section: 86-317-3222060 (Home), 86-13315783169 (Cell)
Wang Runxue, director of the detention center: 86-13930761803 (Cell)

August 14, 2008