Name: Zhao Zemin (赵泽敏)
Gender: Male
Age: In his 40s
Address: Qi County, Henan Province
Occupation: Small business owner
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 22, 2008
Most Recent Place of Detention: Xuchang City Forced Labor
Camp (许昌劳教所 )
City: Xuchang
Province: Henan
Persecution Suffered: Forced labor, brainwashing, beatings,
torture, force-feedings, extortion, fired from workplace, physical
restraint, home ransacked, interrogation, detention.
(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Zhao Zemin was arrested by 610 Office agents and Domestic Security Division officials on the morning of May 22, 2008. He was sentenced to two years of forced labor and taken to the Xuchang City Forced Labor Camp. Mr. Zhao was tortured at the labor camp and is now disabled. It was not until December 28, 2009, given demands by his family, that Mr. Zhao was released.
Mr. Zhao is in his forties. He suffered from many illnesses before beginning Falun Gong practice, and returned to health after he started to cultivate. Mr. Zhao is friendly and honest, and likes to help others. Those who know him agree that he is a very nice person. In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the persecution of Falun Gong. Mr. Zhao went to Beijing many times to appeal for justice for Falun Gong.
In July 2000, Mr. Zhao went to Beijing and was arrested by officers from the Tiananmen Police Station. He was detained at the Tianjin City Detention Center. Mr. Zhao went on a hunger strike and demanded to be unconditionally released. He was force-fed and beaten for not cooperating. Mr. Zhao's lung was injured, he ran a high fever, coughed up blood, and secreted yellow puss. He was in great pain. When he was near death, the Tianjin Police Station called the Qi County Police Station, and told them to come and get him. Mr. Zhao was detained for several months at the Qi County Police Station. After Mr. Zhao began to recover, the Qi County 610 Office sentenced him to two years of forced labor. He was forced to perform heavy labor and beaten many times because he refused to renounce Falun Gong. Two of his ribs were broken, his body was covered with scabies, and he was emaciated.
Mr. Zhao returned home after he was released, and his employer fired him. To earn a living for the family and support their two young children, he and his wife established a small business. The Qi County 610 Office and the Domestic Security Division continuously harassed him. He was arrested and detained many times without an arrest warrant. For instance, late one night before the CCP's "Sixteen Meeting," when Mr. Zhao was sleeping, officials from the 610 Office, Domestic Security Division, and Qi County Police Station climbed over the exterior walls, broke into Mr. Zhao's house, and arrested him. Mr. Zhao was detained for more than two months.
On the morning of May 22, 2008, Mr. Zhao was riding his bicycle to the store when he was arrested by Liu Hongtao, group leader of the Domestic Security Division, and other police officers. They claimed that they were safeguarding the Summer Olympics and sentenced him to two years at the Xuchang Forced Labor Camp.
Mr. Zhao was tortured at the Xuchang Forced Labor Camp. He became paralyzed and can no longer take care of himself. Camp officials nonetheless forced him to do hand-craft work. Mr. Zhao's family visited him many times and demanded that Mr. Zhao be released, but were refused. Further family visits were also denied. The family kept demanding his release, which was eventually granted.
Mr. Zhao returned home on February 28, 2009. He was paralyzed. A healthy and strong middle-aged man was tortured and disabled in less then two years.
Officials involved in the persecution of Mr. Zhao:
Qin Yanwei, head of the 610 Office: 86-137-23230333 (cell),
86-378-8991009
Li Dezhong, deputy department chief of the police station:
86-137-81160777 (cell)
Li Yongjun, Domestic Security Division chief of the Qi County
Police Station: 86-138-37864762 (cell), 86-137-81122858
Liu Cheng, Domestic Security Division deputy chief of the Qi County
Police Station: 86-131-37572025 (cell)
