(Minghui.org) Seventeen residents of Changsha City, Hunan Province, were arrested over the course of two days, on October 27 and 28, 2020, for their faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Below are some updates on four of the practitioners.
Mr. Cao Zhifang
Mr. Cao Zhifang’s family hired a lawyer for him after his arrest on October 27. When the lawyer went to visit Mr. Cao on November 3, the detention center guards demanded to see a coronavirus test result. The lawyer returned the next day with a negative test result, but the guards still rejected his meeting request, citing a November 1 notice from the Changsha Police Department that no lawyer is allowed to visit their clients.
The lawyer went to the Changsha Police Department, where upon his request, the police promised to arrange for him to meet with Mr. Cao in two days.
The lawyer hadn’t received any notice from the police by November 5. He returned and asked about his meeting request. One officer told him that Mr. Cao’s case had been transferred to the Kaifu Police Station. After a long period of waiting, the lawyer was asked to go back to the detention center where an officer would receive him.
When the lawyer went back to the detention center, however, he was directed to the Kaifu Police Station. He went there as instructed, only to be told by an officer surnamed Li that the case was with the Liuyang City Police Station and the Kaifu Police Station was just assisting in investigating the case.
The lawyer has filed complaints against the detention center and the Changsha City Police Department for blocking his visit.
Mr. Lu Congying
Mr. Lu Congying and his wife Ms. Gong Xianghui were both arrested on October 27. As Mr. Lu had promised his parents to help them fix a leaking gas line on October 28, prior to his arrest, his parents became very worried about them after failing to get in touch with the couple for the entire day. The elderly couple in their 80s went to the Chaoyangjie Police Station on October 29 and asked whether the police had arrested their son and daughter-in-law. The police denied the arrests and said they didn’t know the whereabouts of the younger couple.
Mr. Lu’s brother received a call on October 30 and was asked to deliver some clothes to him at the Changsha City No. 1 Detention Center. The officer who called him said he was from the Wulipai Police Station.
When Mr. Lu’s brother went to his home to get the clothes for him, he saw on a table a notice from the Liuyang City Police Department, ordering Mr. Lu to appear at the Chaoyangjie Police Station to answer some questions at 11:00 p.m. on October 27. He suspected that his brother was indeed arrested by officers from the Chaoyangjie Police Station, and they merely deceived his parents when they went there to look for his brother.
After ten days of criminal detention, Mr. Lu was released on November 6. He told his family about his detention experience. He spent two days at the Mawangdui Police Station and then eight days at the Changsha City No. 1 Detention Center. He was ordered to sign many forms and also forced to make a video, pleading to his wife for her to cooperate with the police. It’s not clear whether the forms he signed were about his case or statements forcing him to renounce Falun Gong.
Mr. Li Zhigang
After Mr. Li Zhigang was arrested on the evening of October 27, his mother went to several police stations and detention facilities to inquire about his case the next day. All of the agencies she went to denied having any knowledge of his case. She learned from an insider on October 29 that Mr. Li had been sent to the Changsha City No. 1 Detention Center.
Ms. Long Langqiong
Ms. Long Langqiong, also known as Li Jia, was released on November 6. She is now staying with her son.
