(Minghui.org) My aunt was arrested for practicing Falun Gong in Qingdao, Shandong Province, in April 2018. By the time we heard about it, the police had already filed her case with the procuratorate. Her mother and other family members were discussing how to rescue her.
Although I am not a practitioner, I know Falun Gong is good and was furious at what the police did. My aunt is innocent—how could they just barge in and arrest her at home? They acted just like bandits, even ransacking her home and confiscating Falun Gong books, a computer, and a printer.
“No need to go to the procuratorate,” I said resolutely to mother. “Since it was the police who arrested her, let's go to police station and reason with them.”
Rescuing My Aunt
Mother and other practitioners had rescued other detained practitioners in the past. Very often, officials refused to respond, saying they would only talk with intermediate family members. To avoid this, we went to the police station with my aunt's son. We also took the proper legal documents.
At the police station, in front of officers, we dialed the police hotline and reported her case. We specified which officers were present, their police ID numbers, and details of the arrest and the ransacking. Although it was an automated, recorded line, at least the information was stored.
We then went to the procuratorate, where an officer said that they were only involved in charging the defendant, not the arrest. From there, we went to the appeal center and wrote down what happened to my aunt in an appeal letter.
Several days later, my aunt was taken from the detention center back to the police station. Only her son was allowed to visit her. She was told she would be released if we signed some paperwork. If we did sign paperwork, wouldn't that mean the arrest was legitimate? I went to the police station, but officers refused to talk with me about the case, saying it was not my business. Nonetheless, I was able to say a few words to my aunt. “Please do not worry. You will be fine,” I said.
Along with my aunt's son, we went to the appeal center again. Then we called the mayor's hotline and made a report. The receptionist said it would take 7 to 10 days for the office to respond. I asked why it would take so long, that it was related to Falun Gong, and that Falun Gong practitioners were innocent. The receptionist said the office would follow up on it.
My aunt was released that evening. Since she had been detained for one month for no reason, I was thinking of suing the police. But other practitioners said those officers were also victims of the suppression, since they had been misled by the persecution policy and deceived by the hate propaganda. I agreed with them that, if everyone would follow their conscience, the persecution would come to an end.
Nothing to Fear
The most important thing is not to be intimidated. Even in China, officials claim they govern the nation with laws. That means they are supposed to follow legal procedures, not whatever the former Communist Party leader, like Jiang Zemin, might say.
At the police station, there might be a group of officers in uniform staring at you and trying to intimidate you. We do not need to fear them. First of all, we can ask what crime the detained practitioners have committed. If they do list one, for example, Article 300 of Criminal Law on undermining implementation of the law using a cult organization, we can ask them to clarify exactly how implementation of the law was undermined.
Next, we can tell them that the published list of cult organizations does not include Falun Gong. We can also challenge them for arresting people without a warrant. In fact, by doing that, those officers have already committed a crime.
If they say they were just following orders from above, we can then ask for details of the orders. Furthermore, the police should serve the people, not work for certain individuals. If we are open and aboveboard, the officers may not be able to look you in the eye.
It was the same at the appeal center. When an officer yelled at me, I asked who'd given him the authority to yell at people like that. He went into the office, and when he came out later, his attitude had changed. He accepted our information and we were able to discuss the issue.
Doing Something to Help
My mother began to practice Falun Gong when I was very young. Her practice benefitted our family so much that no words can describe it. During my childhood, my mother was arrested for practicing Falun Gong and even humiliated in public by officials for her belief. She was also imprisoned.
At that time I was young and all I could do was cry. Now I have bought books on the law and legal procedures. Since mother and other practitioners did not violate any laws, we need to help them and ensure that justice is served. As history has shown, anyone who persecutes people for their righteous belief is doomed to fail. We have to do something to help based on our conscience.
