(Clearwisdom.net) Ms Yang Jingfang, formerly an employee of the Jianghuai Instrument and Meter Plant of Hefei City, Anhui Province, was again sentenced for not giving up her belief in Falun Gong, this time to three and a half years imprisonment.

On December 28, 2000, Yang Jingfang went with Ms Wu Yunrui, Associate Director of the Anhui Provincial Tourism Bureau, to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa. Before they arrived at Tiananmen Square, some policemen asked if they practiced Falun Gong. They replied, "Yes," and were immediately taken into custody in the Hefei City Detention Center. During their three-month detention there, the Xishi Public Security Subdivision of Hefei City arrested Yang. She refused to sign her arrest warrant. Ms Wu Yunrui was sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment; Jiang Feng, a practitioner who went with them, to three years, and Yang to one year.

On December 28, 2001, Yang Jingfang was released. She lost her job. The local 610 Office [an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.] used a great deal of resources to keep her under surveillance.

On October 30, 2002, the police put Yang Jingfang into a police vehicle and took her to the Hong Xing Hotel for holding. That night, the police went to her home and brought her daughter and her computer to the hotel. The 610 Office had the whole hotel for the day. All those jailed there were Falun Gong practitioners; no other people were allowed. Yang's daughter, not a practitioner, refused to be handcuffed and was beaten up, suffering injuries to her eyes and legs (medical reports available). Then the police attempted to find "evidence" from their computer, but to no avail. Later, they put Yang Jingfang through torture. She was shackled onto a chair for 32 days, not allowed to have water or to sleep. As a result, she suffered excruciating pain in her back and her buttocks festered. In addition, she slipped into unconsciousness twice. They also forced her to admit that she distributed CD's and she had connections with people overseas. Yang's brother, Yang Jingduan, lives overseas and is also a Falun Dafa practitioner. The police wanted to incriminate her for that.

Yang's family members looked for her from the time she went missing. They also asked the local 610 Office, but they denied any knowledge of her whereabouts. It was not until one month later when she was sent to the Hefei Detention Center that they found out where she was. On June 6, the Shushan District Court, Hefei City, put her on trial. They said to her, "Are you going to continue to practice (Falun Gong)? If you are, you will be sentenced to three and a half years. If you are not, you can go home." Yang said, "Yes." She then appealed to the Mid-level Court of Hefei City. Without notifying her family and lawyer, and without going through any legal procedures, she was sentenced to three and a half years. Yang was taken away on July 25th and no one knows where she is now.

Phone Numbers of the Hefei City Public Security Bureau and the 610 Office

Public Security Bureau of Hefei City: 86-551-2651776, Ext. 2545, 2546, 2547, 2548
Office of Political and Legal Commission (610 Office): 86-551-2208253
Staff of the Commission involved: Ni Xiaohua
Staff from Public Security Bureau and the "610 Office": Ding Tao, Liang Wenming

2003-8-11