Huangshi City, Hubei Province: Seven Arrested and One Harassed for Practicing Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) Seven residents in Huangshi City, Hubei Province were arrested and one harassed within two weeks in August 2021, for practicing Falun Gong, with one of them targeted on August 5 and the rest on August 20.

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

Ms. Zhang Huize, 72, was the first to be arrested on August 5. The police deceived her into opening the door by claiming to be doing a coronavirus test. Her Falun Gong books and photo of Falun Gong’s founder were confiscated. She is now being held at the Fenglieshan No. 1 Detention Center.

Mr. Cen Xuedong, in his 70s, and his wife, Ms. Chen Aifang, 70, were arrested at around 7 a.m. on August 20. A dozen officers from the Xisai District Police Station deceived him into opening the door and took away his Falun Gong books, 30,000 yuan in cash, and other personal belongings. The police ransacked the couple’s son’s home and confiscated their grandson’s two computers, before forcing their son to sign the confiscation list.

Ms. Chen was detained at a brainwashing center for 13 days and released on September 2, after she was forced to sign a statement to renounce Falun Gong. It’s not clear where Mr. Cen is detained. It was reported that the police monitored the couple’s daily life outside of their apartment for a week before arresting them.

When a local Falun Gong practitioner went to visit Ms. Li Qiyao, in her late 60s, at around 10 a.m. on August 20, no one came to open the door. When that practitioner left, she noticed a plainclothes officer outside of Ms. Li’s apartment. She informed one of Ms. Li’s family members of the situation. When the family member traveled from out of town a few days later and went into her home, they found her place was a mess and everything related to Falun Gong, including her Falun Gong books and photo of Falun Gong’s founder, was gone. The family member later learned from a neighbor that a dozen officers broke into Ms. Li’s home early on the morning of August 20 and arrested her. It’s not clear where she is currently detained.

Ms. Li Dexiu, in her 70s, was also arrested by a dozen officers on August 20. Her Falun Gong books and computer were taken away. The police interrogated her as to who installed the computer system for her, upon finding Falun Gong-related content on the computer. It’s not clear where she is being detained.

Two other practitioners arrested on August 20 were Ms. Cao Chunmei, 66, and her sister, Ms. Cao Meiying, 63. Both sisters’ Falun Gong books and other related materials were confiscated. They were first forced to attend a brainwashing session at the Xinjia Hotel for two weeks and then transferred to the local detention center, after they refused to write statements renouncing Falun Gong. It was reported that both sisters are experiencing high blood pressure in the detention center.

Liu, from the local residential committee, along with four police officers, harassed Ms. Hou, 68, at around noon on August 20. They took away her Falun Gong books, photo of Falun Gong’s founder, and an MP3 audio player. They also took photos around her home and threatened her not to inform her children of the harassment.