Mr. Wu Zuqiang from Guangdong Province Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison, His Son Threatened for Seeking His Release

Name: Wu Zuqiang (吴祖强)
Gender: Male
Age: 64, Born on February 16, 1949
Address: Nanguan, Gaozhou
Occupation: Retired Employee of Shengli Farm in Gaozhou, Guangdong Province
Date of Most Recent Arrest: October 25, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Yangjiang Prison (阳江监狱)
City: Gaozhou
Province: Guangdong
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, brainwashing, illegal sentencing, imprisonment, home ransacking, detention

(Minghui.org) Mr. Wu Zuqiang started practicing Falun Gong in 1997. The chronic conditions such as gastritis, arthritis and hemorrhoid that had bothered him for years all disappeared. It saved him from the medical bills. In addition, through cultivation, his bad temper changed for the better. His family was admired by the people in his neighborhood.

Prior to retirement, Mr. Wu was a hard worker, he had an outstanding technical reputation at the Shengli Farm in Guangdong Province. He was trustworthy and highly appraised by those around him. He was a successful banana grower in the 1980s. Mr. Wu's accomplishments were mentioned many times in group meetings at the farm. His family once received the “Model Family” medal.

However, Mr. Wu has been arrested and detained many times since the communist regime started the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999.

Father and son arrested

Three police officers arrested Mr. Wu in Gaozhou on the afternoon of October 25, 2010. They took his house key from him, and Maoming Political and Legal Affairs Committee officials dispatched 11 vehicles to his home. Officer Zhan Jie and others ransacked it and confiscated personal belongings, including a computer, a printer, a motorcycle, a cell phone, an MP3 player, the residential permit, a retirement card, the household registry, identification cards, a bank deposit book, more than 26,000 yuan, and other personal belongings. They arrested Mr. Wu's son, Mr. Wu Xianjin, also a Falun Gong practitioner.

Mr. Wu did not cooperate at first. He refused to talk and would not sign anything The police threatened and enticed Mr. Wu, promising his son would be released if he signed. In fact, by that time, Mr. Wu's son had already been sent to Sanshui Forced Labor Camp in Guangdong for a one-year term. Mr. Wu's son had already been detained numerous times for practicing Falun Gong. He had also been beaten and tortured. To protect his son, Mr. Wu signed the record. His only request was that his son be released.

Father sentenced to prison

Under orders from the Maoming and Gaozhou 610 Office, Gaozhou Procuratorate and Court tried Mr. Wu on April 22, 2011. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on July 28, 2011. He appealed to Maoming Intermediate Court, which upheld the original sentence. His personal belongings confiscated during the arrest were considered “evidence,” and Zhan Jie refused to return them to Mr. Wu. So far, the 20,000 yuan has been returned; the 700 in yuan bills with truth clarification messages written on them and other items have not been returned.

Mr. Wu has been under tremendous mental pressure since his arrest. He was in good health prior to the arrest, but his blood pressure went up because of the stress. In Yangjiang Prison, Mr. Wu was targeted for “transformation” and deprived of sleep. He had to watch brainwashing TV programs and read books slandering Falun Gong. The practitioners who refused to write the repentance statement had their heads immersed in water so they could not breath.

The guards monitored Mr. Wu's conversations with his family during visits. The guards threatened Mr. Wu with their personal safety, warning him not to talk about his condition.

Yang Hui, the Maoming 610 Office chairman, discovered that Mr. Wu's son, Mr. Wu Xianjin, had reported his father's case to the provincial agencies. They questioned Mr. Wu Xianjin repeatedly about his standing in regards to Falun Gong. Yang Hui told Mr. Wu Xianjin, “The authorities might want to talk to you because of your ideas. I worry you will go in (prison) again very soon.” Yang Hui threaten Mr. Wu Xianjing not to talk to upper level officials. Yang Hui said that if he wanted to know how his father was, he could go to (the prison) and find out for himself.

Yang Hui has been in charge of the persecution of Mr. Wu and protecting those involved in Mr. Wu's case.

Son threatened

Mr. Wu Xianjin, who had since been released from the forced labor camp, asked Gaozhou 610 Office chairman Wu Haiou for documents with the government's definition of “cult.” Wu Haiou could not come up with anything. Wu Haiou told Mr. Wu Xianjin that if he appealed for his father and the case were to be open again, the sentence would be even longer. Group leader Feng Bo of Gaozhou Domestic Security Division told Mr. Wu Xianjin, “What you are doing will only cause your father more harm.”

The law should be fair. Mr. Wu Xianjin has decided to seek help and support nationally and internationally. He is also appealing on behalf of his father to the appropriate agencies and filing lawsuits against individuals involved in his father's case. He is asking that investigations be conducted and that those who broke the law be charged. He is also asking for compensation for the damages and the return of all the confiscated personal belongings.

Contact information:
Gaozhou 610 Office chairman Wu Haiou, [phone] (Office); [phone] (Home); [phone] (Cell); [phone]
Maoming 610 Office chairman Yang Hui, [phone] (Cell); [phone] (Office)
Gaozhou Court, chairman Li Huibin, [phone] (Cell); [phone]
Maoming Brainwashing Center (Law Education School), [phone]
Yang Hui, director, [phone]

Related articles:
Gaozhou Father and Son Sentenced and Sent to Forced Labor Camp http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2011/11/19/129571.html
Wu Zuqiang and His Son Wu Xianjin from Gaozhou, Guangdong Province Have Been Detained http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2011/2/9/123147.html
Mr. Wu Zuqiang and His Son from Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province Arrested Again http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2010/11/15/121437.html