(Minghui.org) Many Falun Gong practitioners are now exercising their legal right to sue Jiang Zemin for launching the persecution of Falun Gong and causing them great harm and tremendous suffering during the past 16 years. The momentum of this new wave of lawsuits against the former Chinese dictator is on the rise.

The Minghui website receives copies of criminal complaints against Jiang from many practitioners daily. In this report, we present a snapshot of some of the practitioners whose copies of lawsuits were received by Minghui on September 11, 2015.

These lawsuits are mailed to the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate, which are required to process all criminal complaints filed by citizens, as of a recent ruling by the Supreme People's Court.

Summary of the two cases

Seven of Ms. Dong Shulan's family members suffered various degrees of persecution in the last sixteen years. Her three daughters and youngest son-in-law were imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong.

During the period when Ms. Zhang Zhenqing was in a detention center and labor camp, her workplace stopped paying her salary. Her college-age daughter, who relied on Ms. Zhang's salary to survive, had to borrow money from her classmates.

Ms. Dong Shulan (董淑兰)

Profession: UnknownHometown: Jilin City, Jilin ProvinceDate filed: recently, date not specified

Key FactsMs. Dong Shulan was forced to leave home for many of the last 16 years. She was detained in a brainwashing center for a month and sent to a forced labor camp three times. She has endured brutal torture, such as being fed with salt water, shocked with electric batons, and deprived of sleep.

Ms. Dong's children also went through ordeals as part of the persecution. Her three daughters and youngest son-in-law were imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong while her eldest son-in-law, son, and daughter-in-law, who did not practice, were beaten. All of their homes were ransacked.

Ms. Dong's husband had an extramarital affair while she was detained. She forgave him when she returned home. However, her husband divorced her shortly after because she continued to uphold her belief Falun Gong despite the persecution.

Current CircumstancesMs. Dong is currently free. Her three daughters were released between the end of 2014 and early 2015.

Related Report(s)Ms. Dong Shulan from Jilin City Persecuted Multiple Times and Forced to Leave HomeThe Persecution of Ms. Dong Shulan and Her Family (Photos)

Details of complaint in Chinese language

Ms. Zhang Zhenqing (张珍青)

Profession: Retired teacherHometown: Ganzhou City, Jiangxi ProvinceDate filed: recently, date not specified

Key FactsMs. Zhang spent five months in detention following her arrest in December 2000. The guards once cuffed her hands and feet together, rendering her unable to stand or walk. She was also forced to do hard labor for long periods of time.

During her detention, her family was not allowed to visit her even once. In addition, her school stopped paying for her salary, which in turn cut off her daughter's living expenses. Her daughter asked the school to transfer a portion of Ms. Zhang's salary to continue her education, but was rejected. She had to borrow money from her classmates to survive.

Ms. Zhang was arrested again in April 2004 and given two years of forced labor. She was kept in a small room with the curtains drawn and forced to do manual labor under a dim light. Her hair gradually turned gray and she developed a skin disorder. Her vision deteriorated and she also lost a lot weight due to long hours of forced labor and poor living conditions.

Current Circumstances

Ms. Zhang's school reduced her salary by three-quarters during her detention in the labor camp. When she filed for retirement in 2006, her pension was much less than that offered to teachers with the same seniority.

Details of complaint in Chinese language

Background

In 1999, Jiang Zemin, as head of the Chinese Communist Party, overrode other Politburo standing committee members and launched the violent suppression of Falun Gong.

The persecution has led to the deaths of many Falun Gong practitioners in the past 16 years. More have been tortured for their belief and even killed for their organs. Jiang Zemin is directly responsible for the inception and continuation of the brutal persecution.

Under his personal direction, the Chinese Communist Party established an extralegal security organ, the “610 Office,” on June 10, 1999. The organization overrides police forces and the judicial system in carrying out Jiang's directive regarding Falun Gong: to ruin their reputations, cut off their financial resources, and destroy them physically.

Chinese law allows for citizens to be plaintiffs in criminal cases, and many practitioners are now exercising that right to file criminal complaints against the former dictator.