After their arrests on October 12, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Xing Junhua, Ms. Gao Chunlian, Mr. Dong Hanjie and other practitioners were detained in Zhuozhou City Police Department. They were each forced to sit on an iron chair for five days and six nights. Later they were transferred to Zhuozhou City Detention Center. At the time of this published article, they will have been detained for thirty eight days. Ms. Gao was tortured so severely that she was unable to stand. Her hands and feet were cold all the time and she needed other people to assist her when she used the restroom. She was barely recognizable and was on the verge of death. Mr. Dong showed the symptoms of high blood pressure and renal failure, and his legs were swollen. Ms. Xing was also very weak and was not able to walk by herself. She lost consciousness several times due to hunger, and the police have forced-fed her twice.

Ms. Xing Junhua, 48, is a former employee of Zhuozhou City Business Bureau. Ms. Xing began practicing Falun Gong in April 1999, and all of her illnesses, including stomachache, headache, tracheitis, keratitis and gynopathy, have disappeared. Ms. Xing has been arrested five times and sentenced to forced labor three times during the past eight years, and she has been brutally tortured many times. Her husband divorced her before she started practicing Falun Gong because she was ailing and he was concerned he would be affected by her illnesses. She has a daughter who is currently attending college. It is unlikely that her family knows of her current situation.

Ms. Gao Chunlian left home several years ago to avoid persecution. She was divorced before she began practicing Falun Gong. Her ex-husband takes care of their son because of her homeless situation.

Mr. Dong Hanjie has been arrested many times during the past eight years. His family was broken apart and he became homeless, to avoid further persecution.

Among the practitioners arrested on October 12, 2007, several have been sentenced to forced labor. Mr. Ren Baokun was sentenced to one year and six months of forced labor and sent to the Baoding City Forced Labor Camp. Practitioner Liu Wen had just been released from the labor camp before this current arrest. Practitioner Liu was sent to the labor camp again but released shortly afterwards. Ms. Jin Shumin was released because she failed the physical examinations at the camp. Ms. Zhang Chunfang didn't pass the physical examination and was released after the police extorted 1,500 yuan from her family. Ms. Si Shenghua was released after being detained in a forced labor camp for nine days because of her extremely weak condition. Ms. Miao Lina was sent to, and is currently detained at Shijiazhuang City Forced Labor Camp.

The police considered Ms. Xing, Ms. Gao and Mr. Dong important people and subjected them to severe persecution. They were not given enough food and all three were in critical condition. However, the National Security Team of Zhuozhou City Police Department has refused to release them.

Mr. Ren is currently appealing to the Baoding City government for his sentence.