(Minghui.org) A married couple in Tai'an City, Shandong Province is scheduled to face trial on June 19, 2019 for refusing to renounce their faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that is persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
Mr. Zhao Qisen and his wife, Ms. Zheng Hongling, both former employees of Shandong Energy Xinwen Mining Group Co., were arrested at home on October 25, 2018 by agents from Jieshan Police Station and Tianping Police Station.
Mr. Zhao was home alone that day when he heard knocks on the door. He refused to open the door after seeing the police through the peephole. The police pried open his door and broke in.
Once inside, the police took down the peephole and confiscated many personal items, including three sets of Falun Gong books and related materials, one computer, one notebook, one cell phone, and two purses.
The police were in the midst of their raid when Ms. Zheng returned home. She tried telling them about Falun Gong and also urged them not to persecute her and her husband.
The police refused to listen and took the couple to Jieshan police station to be interrogated.
The next day, the couple was taken to the hospital for a physical exam before Mr. Zhao was sent to Dongping County Detention Center to be detained and Ms. Zheng was sent to Tai'an City Detention Center.
When the Tai'an City Detention Cener refused to accept Ms. Zheng due to her medical report, she was again taken to the hospital for medical checks before being sent back to the detention center. However, the detention center still refused to accept her as the medical report showed that she has severe heart disease, so the police had to take her back to the police station.
Ms. Zheng was released on bail on October 27 while Mr. Zhao remained in detention.
On April 18, 2019, the Dongping County Procuratorate submitted the couple's case to Feicheng City Procuratorate, which indicted them and forwarded the case to Feicheng City Court on May 16.
Ms. Zheng was informed by Feicheng City Court on May 30 that she and Mr. Zhao are scheduled for trial on June 19.
Previous Arrests
This is not the first time that Ms. Zheng had been arrested. She had faced multiple arrests, forced labor camps, and harassment from the police since the persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999. In November 10, 2012, Ms. Zheng was arrested and sent to Shandong Women's Labor Camp, where she was released only when on the brink of death.
Parties involved in persecuting Mr. Zhao Qisen and Ms. Zheng Hongling:
Xue Qizhen, head of Jieshan Police Station: +86-538-2311100
Zhao Pingyuan, prosecutor of Dongping County Procuratorate: +86-538-3012627
Shi Jun, president of Feicheng City Court: +86-538-3212141, +86-538-3567266
(More participants in the persecution contact information is available in the original Chinese article.)
Related report:
Additional Persecution News from China – February 16, 2019 (12 Reports)
