(Minghui.org) On February 2, 2012, Dezhou City Police Department teamed up with Qingyun County Police Department in Shandong Province to track down Falun Gong practitioners through their cell phones. They illegally arrested over 20 practitioners who were meeting at Xiangyun Hotel during the Chinese New Year. The practitioners were taken to the Qingyun and Dezhou detention centers. Afterward, more than 10 practitioners were sent to forced labor camps.

The arrested practitioners included Ms. Li Shuxia, Ms. Xing Shumei, Ms. Xing Enxia, Ms. Xing Xiuhua and Ms. Chang Jun from Yanshan County, Hebei Province; Mr. Gai Weimin from Wuli, Shandong Province; Wang Shuhua and Wang Guie from Leling, Shandong Province; Ms. Sheng Guiying, Yang Xiqing, Wang Jianting, Mr. Zhou Rusheng, Du Quancun, Xu Qingmei, Hua Yun, Zhao Junxiang and Lu Shuming from Qingyun, Shandong Province; Mr. Li Chaochen and Mr. Wang Shenghua from Huanghua, Hebei Province; and several others.

According to the police officers who participated in the arrests, at 9 a.m. officers from Qingyun County were dispatched to seize practitioners meeting at a restaurant in Qingyun County. Police had installed on-site cameras in preparation. When the practitioners arrived at the restaurant and their food was being served, numerous police officers entered the restaurant. On their way into the restaurant, they began to video-tape the proceedings. Two vans waited outside, and the entire street was full of police cars. The arrested practitioners were taken to different police stations and interrogated.

After being arrested, Ms. Li Shuxia was given a medical check-up and diagnosed with a womb ulcer, myocardial ischemia, and high blood pressure. Even so, she was still detained at the Dezhou City Detention Center. A month later, without any legal procedures, she was taken to the Jinan Forced Labor Camp for a 21-month term.

The police interrogated Ms. Xing Shumei for 24 hours and slapped her face twice. After the interrogation, she appeared having difficulty moving her four limbs. She was released after the police extorted 10,000 yuan from her family.

The police also confiscated more than 9,000 yuan in cash from Ms. Xing Enxia at the time of her arrest. Ms. Xing was then taken to the Qingyun County Detention Center and handcuffed to a bed for two days and nights. On the morning of February 12, 2012, she was transferred to the Dezhou Detention Center, where the food consisted of half-cooked rice served in a container that appeared dirtier than a garbage can. A few days later, Ms. Xing could not eat, vomited and spit out blood. Afterward, she also had difficulty walking. Not until she was very weak did Qingyun police officials take her to Qingyun County Hospital. The hospital staff gave her a few bottles worth of injections that night; she was unconscious during that period. The next morning, police took her to Jinan Forced Labor Camp. A doctor at the labor camp said, “If she is this sick, you should send her to the hospital!” Thus, police had to take her back. They called her family and forced them to hand over 10,000 yuan, as well as confiscated her car, before letting her relatives take her home.

Ms. Sheng Guiying and her son, a non-practitioner, were also arrested and taken to Qingyun County Detention Center. Ms. Sheng was held there for more than 20 days. Police also confiscated her sedan, valued at more than 300,000 yuan. Because Ms. Sheng resisted officials' attempts to force her to give up her practice of Falun Gong, she was then taken to a brainwashing center in Shandong Province. Officials extorted 40,000 to 50,000 yuan from her family members prior to releasing her son and their car.

Mr. Li Chaochen and Mr. Wang Shenghua were arrested and taken to the Qingyun Detention Center. On February 7, 2012, their relatives went to the police department to demand their release. Police team leader Li Guangrong said, “We don't have them here. As far as I know, there were two people who did not reveal their names. I don't know if they were the ones you were looking for.” When their relatives asked to see the photos, they were not allowed to. The relatives went to the detention center after hearing that Mr. Wang was, indeed, detained there. They then also found out that Mr. Li was held there, too. In the afternoon, the relatives went back to the police department and challenged Li Guangrong: “They are being held here. What crime did they commit?” Li Guangrong responded, “Falun Gong gathering.” When the relatives asked to see the arrest warrants, Li Guangrong refused to show them.

On February 20, 2012, Mr. Li and Mr. Wang were taken to a forced labor camp for a 21-month term. Their relatives were not notified. Mr. Li didn't pass the physical, so the forced labor camp would not accept him. However, Qingyun Police Department did not release him but detained him at Qingyun Detention Center. His family came to ask that he be released many times, but Li Guangrong dismissed them each time. The head of the police department, Chen Jingli, said, “What's the big deal about having high blood pressure? We'll wait until he is doing better and then send him to a forced labor camp.” When his family members went to the police department to demand his release again, Li Guangrong and other officers pushed them out. During the process, one of the relative's hands was scratched and bled, and one elderly man was shoved to the ground.

Mr. Zhou Rusheng was released on February 4, 2012.

Ms. Zhang Jun's arrest left her son and her husband, who has uremia and can't take care of himself, on their own.

Parties involved in the persecution:
Chen Jingli, head of Qingyun Police Department
Liu Dianzhi, deputy head of Qingyun Police Department
Li Guangrong, team leader from the 610 Office: +86-18953428009 (Cell)
Liu Guorui, from the 610 Office: +86-13365447619 (Cell)
Yao Wenguo, from the 610 Office: +86-13356272816 (Cell)
Li Yong, secretary of the Political and Legal Committee: +86-13573478888 (Cell)
Li Fuzhi, police officer responsible for persecuting Ms. Xing Shumei