(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhong Junfang, 59, Mr. Yu Faquan, 56, and Ms. Chen Baojiong, 70, from Jianwei County, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, were arrested around 10 p.m. on August 10, 2011 for practicing Falun Gong. They were illegally sentenced to 8.5, 7.5 and 4 years in prison, respectively.
On the night of August 10, a group of police officers in several police vehicles surrounded Ms. Zhong's clothes boutique shop outside the Jianwei County Foreign Language School and arrested six practitioners, including Ms. Zhong, who were gathered to read Falun Gong books. The authorities confiscated over 100,000 yuan that Ms. Zhong had received when selling her house.
The home of Mr. Yu Faquan, one of the six arrested practitioners, was ransacked. His computer, printer, DVD burner and other belongings were confiscated. Mr. Yu was held at the Jianwei County Detention Center. He went on a hunger strike to protest the arrest and detention. After over a week of torture he had to be taken to a hospital for emergency treatment.
Three of the six arrested practitioners were released later. The other three, Ms. Zhong Junfang, Mr. Yu Faquan, and Ms. Chen Baoqiong, are still being detained in the Jianwei County Detention Center.
On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party initiated the persecution. Ms. Zhong has been imprisoned for most of these past thirteen years. She was sentenced to two years of forced labor, and to three- and four-year prison terms. In August 2011, she was arrested again by Luo Yougang, head of the county 610 Office, Zhou Wenhua, former secretary of the county Political and Legal Committee, and Wang Yongfu, political instructor of the county Domestic Security Division. She was sentenced to an eight-year prison term.
The officials threatened Ms. Zhong's son's job if he continued to stay in contact with his mother. Ms. Zhong was denied half of her pension for being steadfast in her belief. To earn a living, she had to sell her house and start a business. Now her money and personal belongings have been confiscated.
Before practicing Falun Gong, Mr. Yu Faquan was paralyzed and bedridden. After practicing Falun Gong, he became healthy. He was sentenced once to over three years of forced labor for practicing Falun Gong. In August 2011, he was arrested again and sentenced to a 7.5-year prison term.
Ms. Chen Baoqiong was a salesperson working for Ms. Zhong. She was arrested and sentenced to a four-year prison term.