(Clearwisdom.net) Six Falun Gong practitioners from Wuxue City, Hubei Province, were illegally sentenced to prison. When their families went to the 610 Office to ask for their release, they in turn were arrested, detained, and robbed by the police.

Personnel from Wuxue City 610 Office arrested and jailed Ms. Wu Yaqin, Mr. Chen Feng, Mr. Li Jiguo, and Ms. Li Xuezhen on July 7, 2009. Their sentences were five years for Ms. Wu, four years for Mr. Chen, and three years for Mr. Li, Mr. Fang Tianming and Mr. Liu Jigang.

The families of these six practitioners submitted appeals to the court and went to the 610 Office to ask for their release. On the first day, more than 40 members of their families appeared. Most of the time, people of the 610 Office closed the door and chased them away. Some family members put up signs asking for help in front of the City Office in Wuxue. Many passersby stopped and read their signs, and some kindhearted people showed their support for these practitioners.

On July 22, 2009, agents from the 610 Office took away the family's signs and deceived them by asking them to go to the 610 Office for a dialogue. They also called the police, who drove the family members to Longtan Police Station, where they threatened them and took their pictures. They were then detained for ten days and each was forced to pay 360 yuan to the detention center and 500 yuan to the Longtan Police Station.

Ms. Lu Jine, who is Mr. Chen Feng's mother, had her home ransacked many times after 1999. Her Falun Gong books and lecture and exercise tapes were taken away by the police and people from her husband's company. Mr. Chen was forced to report to his company twice every day for more than a month. On one occasion, officers from the police station told Ms. Lu Jine and her son to submit their photos. They came once on the first day, then more than three times the second day. On the second night, they even brought someone to take their pictures at their home.

Mr. Chen Feng was taken into custody by police officers at around 11:00 p.m. on July 30, 2008. He was then detained in Wuxue City Detention Center for six months. The police also took his computer, copier, camcorder, and cell phone.

The food Mr. Fang Tianming's family sent to him was confiscated in the detention center. A watermelon sent to Ms. Wu Yaqin from her brother was confiscated.

The police detained Ms. Lu Jine's son again on July 7, 2009. His family learned that he was sentenced to four years in prison when they went to visit him in the detention center.

Ms. Lu Jine was not allowed to visit her son in prison. Prison authorities asked for a permit from the local 610 Office, which was not provided.