74-Year-Old Mr. Zhao Yancheng Dies After Repeated Persecution

(Minghui.org) Mr. Zhao Yancheng, 74, died as a result of persecution on March 21, 2014. He had been repeatedly illegally arrested and detained over the past 15 years. He also experienced harassment and ransacking of his home just because he persisted in practicing Falun Gong.

Mr. Zhao was sentenced to three years in a forced labor camp in October 2000 because he clarified the truth about Falun Gong to the local government. He was released seven days later because of poor health. He was constantly harassed after his release by officials from the local 610 Office, police department and police station, and Zhao Weidong, the party secretary from the Qiaoguan Town Political and Legal Affairs Committee.

Mr. Zhao and his wife were both detained for two weeks in 2003 because he played a video about Falun Gong to people. His home was ransacked that day. He was later detained for two weeks again because he was seen doing the Falun Gong exercises with other practitioners.

Liu Jinghang, an instructor from the Qiaoguan Police Station, broke into Mr. Zhao's house and confiscated his Falun Gong books on March 3, 2005. He refused to show any identification. When Mr. Zhou asked for his books, Liu punched him and then left.

The director of the Qiaoguan Town Police Station and officials from the local county Domestic Security Division broke into Mr. Zhao's home on the morning of May 18, 2009, and arrested him. He was later taken to the local detention center, where he was subjected to various forms of abuse for nearly eight months.

Mr. Zhao was put on trial on September 22, 2009, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, guards from Jinan Prison refused to accept him because of his poor health.

Officials from Changle County took him to the local detention center, where they held him for more than 10 days. He was released after they had extorted 5,500 yuan in cash.

Officials from the Changle County 610 Office told officers from the local police department and police station to install a surveillance camera opposite Mr. Zhao's home, so that they could monitor him at the beginning of 2010.

Officer Liu Chunxiang and others from the Changle Domestic Security Division ransacked Mr. Zhao's home on the evening of April 19, 2011.

Mr. Zhao was arrested again on May 14, 2011 by officers from the local Domestic Security Division. He was taken to the Jingshan Reservoir Brainwashing Center, and was tied to an iron chair and tortured.

Officers Wang Lisheng from the Changle Domestic Security Division and others from the Qiaoguan Police Station broke into Mr. Zhao's house on the morning of June 24, 2012, without showing their identification. They confiscated a Falun Gong lecture book and a truth clarification DVD.

Torture Illustration: Iron Chair

During October 2012, he was taken to the Jingshan Reservoir Brainwashing Center. He was forced to squat for a long period of time in a dark room, tied to an iron chair and subjected to brainwashing. He talked to Liu Chunxiang, the deputy head of the local Domestic Security Division about Falun Gong, but Liu hit Mr. Zhao in the mouth more than 10 times with a shoe.

On the morning of August 14, 2013, officials from the Qiaogan Town in Changle County went to Mr. Zhao's home and forced him to sign a statement declaring that he would renounce the practice.

Mr. Zhao Yancheng was born in 1940, and is from Qiaoxi Village, Qiaoguan Town in Changle County. He began to practice Falun Gong in February 1997.

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:
Name: Zhao Yancheng (赵延成) Gender: Male Age: 74 Address: Qiaoxi Village, Qiaoguan Town, Changle County In Weifang City Occupation : Farmer Date of Death: March 21, 2014 Date of Most Recent Arrest: July 2012 Most Recent Place of Detention: Jingshan Reservoir Brainwashing Center (荊山水庫洗脑班) City: Weifang Province: Shandong Persecution Suffered : Forced labor, brainwashing, illegal sentencing, beatings, imprisonment, torture, extortion, physical restraint, home ransacked, interrogation, detention. Key Persecutors: Zhang Zhili, Li Shaojun, Chang Quanbin, Zhao Weidong, Liu Jinghang, Liu Chunxiang, Wang Lisheng and Zhao Shisheng

Parties responsible for the persecution: Zhang Zhili (张志利), head of Changle County 610 Office: [phone] (Cell) Li Shaojun (李少军), deputy head of Changle County 610 Office: [phone] (Cell) Chang Quanbin (常全斌), director of the local domestic security division: [phone] (Cell) Liu Chunxiang (刘春祥),deputy director of the local domestic security division: [phone] (Cell) Zhao Shisheng ( 赵世胜), deputy director of the local domestic security division: [phone] (Cell)