(Minghui.org) A Ji County man's family was elated when he was released from a 12-year imprisonment for upholding his belief in Falun Gong. The happiness didn't last long, though. Barely three months later, his wife was arrested while distributing literature exposing the persecution of Falun Gong.

Both Mr. Zhang Xiangjun (张祥骏) and his wife Ms. Wang Shuli (王淑丽) are Falun Gong practitioners from Ji County, Tianjin. They have been arrested and detained many times since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999.

Mr. Zhang was first arrested on October 28, 1999, for displaying a banner on Tiananmen Square. Shuangkou Forced Labor Camp in Tianjin twice extended his term, citing his refusal to renounce Falun Gong. He wasn't released until he went on a hunger strike to protest.

Even though he was tortured to the point of being unrecognizable at the time of his release, the local 610 Office, police department, and village government still had more than half a dozen people monitor him around the clock.

Ms. Wang was arrested in 2000 for appealing for Falun Gong in Beijing. Like her husband, she was also tortured while in detention.

The couple managed to get away in 2001, despite the tight security around their apartment. As they went from place to place to avoid arrest, the local police launched a large manhunt for them, and froze their bank account.

They were both sentenced to prison after being captured in 2002, with Mr. Zhang given 12 years and Ms. Wang 6 years. Mr. Zhang was sent to Tianjin First Prison, while his wife was held at Tianjin Women's Prison.

Mr. Zhang's elderly parents were left at home to care for his three young children. His father, who was in his eighties before passing away, never got to see him again. During this tumultuous time, the two youngest children ended up in an orphanage for a period of time.