(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Zhang Xinyi is a Falun Gong practitioner and United Nations refugee. On April 28, 2005, she was arrested by the Tianxin District Public Security Sub-Bureau in Changsha City and by the Xinkaipu Police Station. At the same time, her family home was ransacked and personal property was confiscated. In August, soon after a secret trial and without her family members being informed, Ms. Zhang was sentenced to a three-year term of imprisonment by the Tianxin District Court in Changsha City (the presiding judge was Chen Xinzheng). Ms. Zhang refused to accept the decision and lodged an appeal. However, in December 2005, Ms. Zhang's appeal was rejected by the Changsha Intermediate Court (the presiding judge was Yang Saiyu). On January 12, 2006, Ms. Zhang was imprisoned in the Hunan Provincial Women's Prison. Ms. Zhang is now illegally imprisoned in the prison orientation team.

The Hunan Provincial Women's Prison is one of the central locations to imprison and persecute women Falun Gong practitioners in Hunan Province. About 100 practitioners are illegally imprisoned there. After July 20, 1999 (when the persecution started), under the lead of deputy prison director Zhao Lan, the prison tightly followed the Chinese Communist Party to persecute the imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners. They carried out brainwashing including mental and physical torture, with the goal of destroying the practitioners' spirits. Dafa practitioner Ms. Jia Cuiying from Jishou, Hunan Province, developed lung cancer as a result of the relentless pressure and torture. She was released on bail for medical treatment and died only four months later. In addition, many practitioners were persecuted until they developed mental disorders. Generally, when Dafa practitioners first enter the prison, the guards begin by using all kinds of hypocritical methods to approach the practitioners, and try to use the practitioners' human weaknesses to wait for an opportunity to brainwash and reach the goal of "transforming" them. Dafa practitioners who resist this method are then tortured.

At present, there is much cause for concern about Ms. Zhang Xinyi's situation. Because she cultivated and practiced Falun Gong, persisted in her belief, and clarified the truth to people, Zhang Xinyi was persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party more than once.

In August 2002, Ms. Zhang and her husband, Li Guojun, were teaching at the Jinbian Chinese School in Cambodia. They were illegally arrested by the Cambodia Immigration Office. Later, they were deported to China. Cambodian government personnel told the couple clearly that they were told to do this by the Chinese Embassy.

At that time, Ms. Zhang and her husband had already applied for asylum to the UNHCR (Headquarters of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the application was accepted, so they were officially refugees protected by international law. Because of this, their case received a lot of media attention. On August 23, 2002, the Xingzhou Daily reported this event in an article entitled, "UNHCR criticizes the government for not protecting two Falun Gong practitioners" (see illustration).

Police imprisoned Ms. Zhang and her husband for one month when they were deported to China. Only after international rescue efforts, were they released.

"UNHCR criticizes the government for not protecting two Falun Gong practitioners" in Xingzhou Daily

Ms. Zhang was most recently arrested on the afternoon of April 28, 2005. Her family members returned home and saw that the house was in disorder. The computer, printer and Dafa books were gone, and Ms. Zhang had been taken away. From that day to the time that Ms. Zhang was illegally sentenced and sent to Hunan Provincial Women's Prison, about eight to nine months had passed. Ms. Zhang's husband, Mr. Li Guojun, has not been allowed to see her even once. Every time Mr. Li went to the prison to visit his wife, the authorities lied and said, "Zhang Xinyi does not want to meet with you." In addition, they frequently withheld letters from family members. Ms. Zhang went on a hunger strike for 40 days to protest. Officials handcuffed Ms. Zhang to a window shutter to force-feed her.

In August 2005, the Tianxin District Court, fearful of letting other people know about the trial, secretly held a trial to hear Ms. Zhang's case, and didn't even notify her family. Her husband Li Guojun asked the presiding judge, Chen Xinzheng, about the case. The judge shirked responsibility and even tried to blame Mr. Li, saying such things as, "You did not show up." Ms. Zhang was thus "illegally sentenced" and imprisoned for made-up crimes. Mr. Li and their son Li Yanwen (a high-school senior) are both currently under tremendous pressure.

The fact that United Nations refugee Ms. Zhang is being persecuted again reveals the Chinese Communist Party's true nature. It blatantly ignores international law and international human rights treaties.

We appeal to all people around the world to help rescue Ms. Zhang Xinyi, and help her obtain her freedom again.

Personnel in the Changsha Intermediate Court who participated in the illegal decision: Presiding Judge Yang Saiyu, Judge Ou Yangning, Liu Yaowu, Clerk Huang Shizhi

Personnel in the Tianxin District Court who participated in the illegal decision: Presiding Judge Chen Xinzheng, Judge Pen Li'an, Zhang Huifang, Clerk Tang Bin

Personnel from the Tianxin Procuratorate who participated in "the public prosecution": Prosecutor Yu Lihua

Other Related units and personnel:

Xinkaipu Local Police Station: 86-731-5572702
Tianxin District 610 Office, Yang Shengming: 86-731-5175673
Chief of the Tianxin District Court, Geng Mingsheng: 86-731-5890000
Chief Prosecutor of the Tianxin District Procuratorate, Sheng Lei: 86-731-5890501
Chief of the Tianxin District Public Security Sub-Bureau, Ou Yike: 86-731-5175688
The Politics Committee of the Tianxin District Public Security Sub-Bureau, Liao Jian: 86-731-5175678
Secretary of the Tianxin District Politics Committee, Deng Pengyu: 86-731-5898111
Tianxin District Secretary, Liu Xincheng: 86-731-5898158
Tianxin District Party Committee: 86-731-5898503 (Fax)
Tianxin District Chief, Xia Jianping: 86-731-5899888
Tianxin District government: 86-731-5899420 (Fax)
Changsha Police Station 610 Office: 86-731-2587501

Hunan Provincial Women's Prison:
Deputy warden Zhao Lan: 86-731-2323007 (Office), 86-731-2323878 (Home), 86-13308498728 (Cell)
Surveillance Team: 86-731-2323710
Prison guards: Tang Qingyun, Long Yanhong

Partial list of prison guards in the Instruction and "Transformation" Team (Fifth Surveillance District) in the Hunan Provincial Women's Prison: Chief, Xiao Ping; Deputy Chief, Li Chunhui (extremely brutal)

Political Instructor, surnamed Zhang; Chief of Instruction Section, Xue Fang (extremely brutal)

The Second Instruction and "Transformation" Team (imprisons Dafa practitioners who are not "transformed"): Luo Jian (head prison guard, very brutal), Li Jun (also studies psychology, extremely wicked), Mao (given name not known, very brutal), Tan Ying, Hu (given name not known), Tang (given name not known)

The First Instruction and "Transformation" Team (mainly imprisons "transformed" practitioners): Zhotu Chan (head prison guard, extremely brutal), Li Ling, Pan Liling

Instruction and "Transformation" Team: 86-731-2323040, 86-731-2323041

Li Chunhui: 86-13637311116 (Cell)
Xue Fang: 86-13787788566 (Cell)
Luo Jian: 86-13974856700 (Cell)
Zhou Chan: 86-731-6892583 (Cell)

Hunan Provincial Women's Prison address: 528 Xiangzhang Ave., Yuhua District, Changsha City, Hunan Province

Mailing address: PO Box 2, Changsha City, Hunan Province, Zip code: 410004

Hunan Provincial Prison Administrative Bureau (The higher authority of the women's prison); Bureau Chief and Secretary, Liu Wanqing

Deputy Chief, Li Yunfeng (primary person in charge of the "transformation" work): 86-731-4592780 (Office), 86-13908463868 (Cell)

February 16, 2006