An elderly study group is arrested and detained.

Xichang City Police Department and National Security Bureau Arrest Falun Gong Practitioners

On July 12, 2008 the policemen from Xichang City Police Department and National Security Bureau surrounded Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Shaohui's home. Zhang Shaohui lives on Sanya Street, in Xichang City, Sichuan Province. Several plainclothes officers who were staked out around Zhang Shaohui's home, even stopped and checked people who were just passing by. At that time over ten practitioners were studying at Ms. Zhang's home and most of them were elderly.

The arrest lasted from 3:00 p.m. through 1:00 a.m. Eventually the policemen from the Domestic Security Team and the Anti-Riot Team forcibly dragged these practitioners to the police car. One elderly practitioner had difficulty walking, but two of the policemen grabbed him by his arms and forcibly pulled him into the police car. As these practitioners were being illegally arrested, they shouted, "Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance is good!"

The police detained these practitioners separately at Chengbei Police Station. The policemen interrogated them and continuously abused and beat them. The practitioners are currently being detained at Tuohuang Detention Center in Xichang City, Mapingba Drug Rehabilitation Center and the City Detention Center.