A Call For the Release of Mother and Daughter (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net, February 8, 2004) Chinese-American Ms. Zhang, a resident in New York City, seeks support from all circles in society and requests the Chinese authorities to immediately release her elder sister Ms. Jun Zhang and Jun's daughter Chiyue Li, who are currently imprisoned in the Beijing Chaoyang Detention Center.

Ms. Jun Zhang	Ms. Chiyue Li

Ms. Jun Zhang and her daughter Ms. Chiyue Li went missing on the evening of January 23, 2003 after they went out. Their family members were very worried about them. After many inquiries from different parties, their family finally found out on the second day that Jun Zhang and Chiyue Li were arrested by police when they put up some posters in the Huatang Supermarket in Chaoyang District, Beijing. The content of the posters they put up were Falun Gong practitioners' New Year's greetings to people, and condemnation and opposition of Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong. On the second day after they were arrested, the Chaoyang police officers forcibly ransacked their apartments without showing any legal document. They confiscated 6 copies of the Falun Gong exercise instruction videotape, 3 copies of other videotapes, a photo, a piece of paper with an index of handwritten Dafa books and a Falun Gong truth-clarifying flyer.

On January 30, the police announced the order to arrest Ms. Zhang and her daughter Ms. Li to Ms. Zhang's husband, Mr. Jinxi Li, and ransacked their apartments again. The public security department did not allow attorneys to meet the mother and daughter, and thus they were deprived of their legal rights to receive help from attorneys.

Mr. Jinxi Li has been to the detention center of the Chaoyang District police station several times, requesting to meet his wife and daughter, but his request was denied each time. Mr. Li also requested to deliver winter clothes for his wife and daughter, but was turned down due to lack of staff during the Chinese Lunar New Year. On January 29, Mr. Li learned that his wife and daughter had gone on hunger strike for 8 days in a row and they were in a critical situation.

Ms. Jun Zhang's family members in both China and other countries worried about her and her daughter very much. They called on people from all walks of life to reach out their helping hands and demand the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ms. Zhang and her daughter. At present, Chinese human rights organizations, the Global Mission to Rescue Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted in China, some members of the U.S. Congress, overseas Falun Gong practitioners and media are paying a lot of attention to the arrest of Ms. Zhang and her daughter. They are calling on the Chinese authorities to immediately set free the mother and daughter and stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

Background of Ms. Jun Zhang and Chiyue Li:

Ms. Jun Zhang, born on September 14, 1948, retired. Former first-class staff member of the education section in the Beijing Number 4 Construction Company.

Ms. Chiyue Li, born on September 9, 1983. Daughter of Ms. Jun Zhang, student from Civil Aviation University of China.

In 1999, Ms. Zhang was a part of the Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful appeal in Tiananmen Square. As a result, she was detained for two months in the detention center of the Dongcheng District Police Station in Beijing. During her detention, she was physically tortured, which caused her to suffer from severe chronic stomachache and arthritis. Her mental health was also devastated.

Background info available at: http://www.gmrpfp.org/DisplayACase.asp?caseID=424