(Clearwisdom.net) [Note: The following is a shortened version of a longer and more detailed article that appeared on the minghui.ca website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom.net).]

Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Zhang Yuying from Pozhuang Village, Guanzhuang Town of Anqiu City is thirty-eight years old. On December 2, 2000, Ms. Zhang Yuying went to Beijing to appeal and was detained by the police, who forcibly took her back to the Guanzhuang Town Birth Control Office that night and held her there for eight days. They also put her into the water dungeon (1), ransacked her home and extorted one thousand yuan from her.

Practitioner Ms. Zhang Yumei, who is the younger sister of Ms. Zhang Yuying, is thirty-five years old this year. She lives in the North Lijiazhuang Village, in Guanzhuang Town of Anqiu City. On December 2, 2000, Ms. Zhang Yumei went to Beijing to appeal as well, but was held for eight days. On September 22, 2004, police officers forcibly took Ms. Zhang Yumei to the Huaian Hotel of Anqiu City. Four police officers tortured her in turn. She was deprived of sleep and threatened. Ms. Zhang Yumei was subsequently held in the Anqiu City Detention Center for one month. Her family members had five thousand yuan extorted from them before she was released. However, the police continuously went to her home to harass her and ransacked her home three times. She was also forcibly taken to the brainwashing center once and was repeatedly harassed.

Practitioner Mr. Ma Zhixin is forty-seven years old. On July 20, 1999, Mr. Ma Zhixin and his wife Ms. Zhang Zhenfang were held in the brainwashing center for many days. Their twelve year-old son drowned because no one was there to watch him. In October 1999, Mr. Ma Zhixin and his wife went to Beijing to appeal, but both were arrested and 5,710 yuan were taken away from them immediately. The second day, the couple was arrested and taken to the Anqiu City Detention Center, where they were held illegally. Afterwards, they were taken back to the Danshan CCP School, where they were subjected to brainwashing and experienced inhumane torture. In the end, they were forced to hand in another 40,132 yuan before they were released. In June 2000, Mr. Ma and his wife went to Beijing again to appeal, but were held in the Anqiu Detention Center again. The couple protested the persecution by going on a hunger strike and was near death before they were released. On July 18, 2000, the couple was held for fifteen days. After they were released, they were forced to leave home to avoid being arrested. In April 2002, Mr. Ma and his wife were arrested while out of town and later transferred to the Anqiu City Detention Center. Ms. Zhang Zhenfang was taken to the Wangcun Forced Labor Camp. After Mr. Ma Zhixin was held in the detention center for one month when he suddenly had the symptoms of a stroke and therefore was taken to the Renmin Hospital. After Mr. Ma became handicapped due to torture, the police from Anqiu City took Ms. Zhang Zhenfang from the Wangcun Forced Labor Camp back to the Anqiu City Detention Center and attempted to sentence her. One of the policemen, Li Shenhua, claimed that if Ms. Zhang’s family members could hand in 30,000 yuan, then Ms. Zhang would be released. So her family members and friends gathered up 30,000 yuan and gave it to Li Shenhua (male). However, Ms. Zhang Zhenfang was still sentenced to five years of imprisonment and was put into the Jinan City Women’s Prison. In the past several years, Mr. Ma Zhixin’s family has had money extorted from them totaling 77,842 yuan, as well as two motorcycles and a camcorder.

Practitioner Ms. Zhang Lihua is from Beiguan Village, Xin’an Street of Anqiu City. In October 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal and was later taken back and detained for one night. Later Ms. Zhang Lihua went to Beijing to appeal again. She was taken back again and detained. She went on a hunger strike for nine days and was released. After she returned home, she decided to go to Beijing again to appeal. She went to Tiananmen Square to unfurl a banner and was taken back. Ms. Zhang went on a hunger strike for six days before she was released. Later she decided that she still wanted to go to Beijing to appeal. However, she was seized before she even reached Beijing. She was held for ten days. In the spring of 2001, the Town Government and Town Police Station attempted to take her to the brainwashing center. Ms. Zhang Lihua was forced to leave home, but was still arrested in Hanjia Village and taken to the brainwashing center, where she was tortured. Ms. Zhang Lihua managed to escape from the brainwashing center and was forced to lead a homeless life. Later she was arrested again. Her arms were broken when they handcuffed her hands behind her back. After she was illegally held in the detention center for one month, the authorities attempted to send her to forced labor camps. However, upon physical examination, Ms. Zhang Lihua was not qualified for forced labor, so she was again sent to the brainwashing center, where she was tortured.

(1) Wearing cotton coat and pants, some practitioners are forced to sit down beside the cell vent in a very uncomfortable contorted position, unable to stretch or lie down. The water dungeon area is very small and one can't lean against the wall for support. The practitioner is forced to sit on the cold cement floor. The police then pour water onto the floor, soaking one’s coat and pants with freezing water. After they repeatedly pour water into the dungeon, one’s body will be completely soaked and partially immersed in water. Oftentimes the water can go chest deep. Ice-cold water and wind would chill one to the bones. If one does not yield, this torture continues indefinitely. See illustration on http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/7/5/49890p.html .