Hebei Man Who Spoke Up Against the Persecution Imprisoned for His Faith

(Minghui.org) A Tangshan City, Hebei Province resident was taken to the Jidong Prison on February 18, 2022, to serve a 1.5-year term for his faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Mr. Huang Honglei, an employee of Kailuan Zhongrun Coal Chemical Company, was arrested on March 30, 2021, after being reported for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong in a residential area. The police kept him in the police station until April 2, when they transferred him to the Leting Detention Center. His home was also ransacked.

When Mr. Huang’s lawyer went to visit him on April 11, the guards blocked him and demanded he present a coronavirus test and a letter (the purpose of the letter was not clear.)

The Haigang District Economic Development Zone Procuratorate approved Mr. Huang’s arrest on April 22, 2021, and transferred his case to the Luannan County Procuratorate in May 2021. The county procuratorate has been assigned to handle all Falun Gong cases in the Tangshan region. Mr. Huang was indicted in early June 2021.

The Luannan County Court held three hearings of Mr. Huang’s case, on August 25, November 26, and December 29, 2021, respectively. Prosecutor Li Guohua proposed sentencing Mr. Huang to eight to 12 months during the first hearing. Mr. Huang’s lawyer refuted that the prosecutor failed to provide any evidence to show what law Mr. Huang had allegedly violated. After the hearing, the prosecutor demanded the police continue collecting evidence against him. When the second hearing was held three months later, the prosecutor still couldn’t present any valid evidence against Mr. Huang.

During the third hearing on December 29, Mr. Huang maintained that he didn’t commit any crime for practicing Falun Gong. He refused to renounce his faith, despite the pressure from the authorities. The presiding judge, Li Changjin, adjourned the hearing and talked to the prosecutor in private outside the courtroom. He announced the 1.5-year sentence with a 3,000 yuan fine against Mr. Huang the next day.

Hebei province has been one of the top regions with the most severe persecution of Falun Gong. Most male practitioners sentenced for their faith in the province are held at the Jidong Prison, which was established in 1956 and is subordinate to the Hebei Prison Administrative Bureau.

The prison is located in Tantang City, Hebei Province, and administers nine prison branches. Many of the prison officials, including Li Keqin, Xiao Yujun, Liu Zhiwei, and Li Weiwo, actively participated in the torture of Falun Gong practitioners for promotions. They also instigated inmates to abuse the practitioners in exchange for term reductions. Over 320 practitioners have been held in Jidong Prison and at least 20 were tortured to death.

Perpetrators’ information:
Chen Changcun (陈长存), president of Haigang District Economic Development Zone ProcuratorateLi Guohua (李国华), prosecutor of Luannan County Procuratorate: [phone]Li Changjin (李昌进), judge of Luannan County Court: [phone]Fan Wenxue (范文学), head of Leting Detention Center: [phone]

Related report:

Hebei Man Sentenced for Distributing Informational Materials about Falun Gong