(Minghui.org) On November 16, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Xu Tao was released from Hebei Province First Forced Labor Camp. That day marked the end of the notorious labor camp.

On November 7, 2013, Hebei First Labor Camp (in Tangshan City’s Kaiping District) had the last practitioner detained there, Mr. Xu Tao, 45 years old from Xuanhua of Zhangjiakou City.

Our record indicates that by the end of May, the labor camp had detained 42 people, 11 of whom were practitioners. On May 30, the labor camp received 58 common criminals from Chengde Labor Camp. On May 31, it obtained another 37 common criminals from Qinhuangdao Labor Camp. Both Chengde and Qinhuangdao Labor Camps were converted to drug addiction treatment centers.

During mid July, Hebei First Forced Labor Camp replaced its “labor camp” sign with “drug addiction treatment center” at the entrance.

In June and July, the labor camp released a large number of people. By late August, only five remained: Three practitioners: Zhang Xian, Li Hongwen and Xu Tao, and two common inmates. Zhang Xian and Li Hongwen were released on medical parole on November 7 due to poor health. Mr. Xu Tao was the only inmate after that and was finally released on November 16.

The notorious Hebei First Labor Camp has been completely dissolved.

[Note: Although the closing of the forced labor camps is a hopeful sign that the persecution cannot hold up much longer, the persecution has not ended. Practitioners continue to be arrested for their belief, tortured, and given long prison sentences without due process.]