Wuhan City: At Least Ten Arrested in One Month and Eight Still Detained in Brainwashing Centers

(Minghui.org) At least ten Falun Gong practitioners in Wuhan City, Hubei Province have been arrested for their faith since late March 2022 and eight of them are still detained in two brainwashing centers at the time of writing.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Eight Detained

Mr. Liu Shenjian was arrested at his residence in the Qingshan District on March 23, 2022. The police took him back to his hometown in the Huangpi District, also under the jurisdiction of Wuhan, and held him at the Panlongcheng Brainwashing Center.

Seven other practitioners, including Ms. Tang Yuenan, Ms. Li Ming, Ms. Zong Ming, Ms. Ding, Ms. Lin, Ms. Shao, and Ms. Yu, were arrested on April 18, 2022, near a supermarket. Most of them are in their 60s and 70s and Ms. Shao is in her 80s.

According to a witness, one practitioner was pushed to the ground and then arrested by four officers. Others were reportedly arrested after being reported for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong in a nearby neighborhood.

The seven practitioners were taken to the Etouwan Brainwashing Center the next day and have been held there since. Another practitioner, Ms. Zhou Ailin, has been held there since September 29, 2021.

This is at least the second time that Ms. Zong has been detained in this brainwashing center. She was previously sentenced to four years in the Hubei Province Women’s Prison. The prison guards handcuffed her behind her back and hung her up to a door frame. They wouldn’t remove the handcuff even when she had meals or used the restroom. She was also deprived of sleep. The torture lasted 15 days and she endured such torture three times. Her legs festered as a result and oozed pus.

One inmate named Zhang Baoxiang once caught ants and put them into Ms. Zong’s clothes. Meanwhile, they poured cold water to her. At times, the guards leaked toxic gas into her room, causing her to have hallucinations and lose her memory.

Ms. Tang, in her 70s, is a retired kindergarten teacher. She was previously held at the Etouwan Brainwashing Center for 1.5 years and the Wuhan City Brainwashing Center for a month, during which time she was deprived of sleep for at least four days.

Ms. Shao was once detained at the Wuhan City Police Department for 15 days.

Two Released

Ms. Gong Hua was arrested at home on April 18, 2022. The police confiscated her Falun Gong books, laptop, cellphone and a tablet. Her brother paid 5,000 yuan bail bond and she was released around midnight.

Ms. Huang Qiaoyun was arrested around April 21. She was released on bail in early May.

Perpetrators’ information:
Liu Hongming (刘红鸣), secretary of Qiaokou District Political and Legal Affairs CommitteeLei Zeming (雷泽明), director of Qiaokou District 610 OfficeLi Chao (李超), secretary of Wuchang District Political and Legal Affairs CommitteeCao Yujiang (曹裕江), secretary of Wuhan City Political and Legal Affairs CommitteeLuo Ping (罗平), deputy secretary of Wuhan City Political and Legal Affairs CommitteeLi Yilong (李义龙), head of Wuhan City Police DepartmentLiu Nanhua (刘南华), deputy head of Wuhan City Police Department

(More perpetrators’ information is available in the original Chinese article.)