Ms. Zhang Yujie, a Falun Gong practitioner almost 60 years old, is retained in custody despite health problems because of demands for bribe money.

After Extorting Thousands of Yuan, Police Refuse to Release a 60-Year-Old Woman

In the afternoon on November 25, when Ms. Zhang Yujie, almost 60 years old, a Falun Gong practitioner from Yushu City, Jilin Province, was talking with an acquaintance in front of  High School 2, three officers from Jianshe Police Station arrested her. They took her to the domestic security unit and then to a detention center. Then they ransacked her home.

Ms. Zhang Yujie's family went to the detention center and presented her medical records. They asked for her release based on her records. Before Ms. Zhang practiced Falun Gong, she had severe heart disease and rheumatism. Her family told police, "If you do not release her, you will have to accept the consequences of your actions."

The police assumed the medical records were false, but didn't want to be held responsible, so they took Ms. Zhang to a hospital for check-up. During the electrocardiogram test in the hospital she had a heart attack, so the police had to leave her in the hospital for treatment.

While she was in the hospital, police with the domestic security unit and legal system section continuously harassed her. Ms. Zhang's family is not wealthy, but to gain her release and stop the police from taking her to a forced labor camp, they handed over 6,000 yuan. The domestic security unit head, Zhang Deqing, pocketed 5,000 yuan.

After Ms. Zhang was released from the hospital, because police with the legal system section had not received any of the extorted money, they would not allow her to be released from custody.

Recently, police with the domestic security unit threatened the family that they would take her to Changchun for another examination and then transfer her to a forced labor camp.