Beijing Woman Appeals Wrongful Term for Practicing Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) After nearly one year in detention, a Beijing resident was sentenced to 14 months with a 2,000-yuan fine on February 15, 2023 for practicing Falun Gong. She has appealed the verdict.

Ms. Zhang Fang

Ms. Zhang Fang, 67, was arrested at home on March 9, 2022. The police claimed that someone had reported her for talking to people about Falun Gong on a bus. After checking surveillance videos, the police saw someone at the bus station that looked like Ms. Zhang and thus decided to arrest her.

Ms. Zhang was first held at the Beijing No. 1 Detention Center and forced to sleep on the concrete floor for nearly three months. Only after her arrest was approved on June 2, did the guards allow her to sleep on the bed. The police performed a psychiatric examination of Ms. Zhang even though they were not medical professionals, attempting to accuse her of having mental issues from practicing Falun Gong.

Ms. Zhang was later transferred to the Chaoyang District Detention Center. She was indicted by the Chaoyang District Procuratorate and sentenced by the Chaoyang District Court.

Since the Chinese communist regime ordered the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, Ms. Zhang has been arrested multiple times. Prior to her latest sentencing, she was previously given one labor camp term and one prison term.

Ms. Zhang was arrested on December 12, 2001 and taken to the Wangsiying Brainwashing Center, where the guards added unknown drugs into her food. Her tongue became stiff and she kept vomiting. As her condition was serious, the guards had to take her to the hospital.

Ms. Zhang was arrested again on April 19, 2002. After 15 days at the Chaoyang District Brainwashing Center, she was sentenced to three years at the Beijing Women’s Prison.

Ms. Zhang was arrested another time in 2008 after spending seven months living away from home to hide from the police. She was given 2.5 years of forced labor and taken to the Hubei Province Women’s Forced Labor Camp.

Both Ms. Zhang and her husband Mr. Chen Fengzhang, who also practices Falun Gong, were arrested on October 15, 2017 and detained at the Shunyi District Detention Center for 30 days.

Perpetrators’ contact information:

Cui Guangtong (崔光同), judge of Chaoyang District Court: [phone]Li Tang (李唐), prosecutor of Chaoyang District ProcuratorateYu Jiuxiang (于久翔), head of Chaoyang District 610 Office: [phone]Li Zhonghe (李中和), director of Chaoyang District Domestic Security Office: [phone]

(More perpetrators’ contact information is available in the original Chinese article.)

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