(Minghui.org) Mr. Ding Yufang from Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, has been illegally detained since April 19, 2017, for practicing Falun Gong.
His case was recently returned to the Tienan Police Station by the Procuratorate for insufficient evidence, but Yan Xiaoling, director of the police station, refused to release him.
Entire Family Arrested for Practicing Falun Gong
More than 30 police officers from the Hongshan District Domestic Security Division and the Tienan Police Station broke open the front door and stormed into Mr. Ding's home on the morning of April 18.
They handcuffed him and his wife Ms. Liu Fengying and ransacked their home. They confiscated several copies of the Falun Gong Minghui Weekly publication and several Falun Gong books. They also took Mr. Ding's daughter's gold ring and earrings, a box of expensive Chinese herbs, and Mr. Ding's son's work computer.
The family of three was taken to the police station and interrogated for 24 hours. Mr. Ding was taken to the Hongshan District Detention Center. His wife fainted after being handcuffed for the entire interrogation. She and her son were released the next day.
Detained for 15 Days for Asking for Release
Ms. Liu and her son demanded that the police release Mr. Ding on April 23.
Ms. Liu told Yan Xiaoling, the police station director, “Practicing Falun Gong is not illegal. You should not have arrested my husband. He is a tile installer. He has not finished his work. Please release him.”
Yang Xiaoling called for several police officers to handcuff Ms. Liu and her son. At noon they were taken to the Hongshan District Detention Center for 15 days of detention.
Getting the Runaround
Ms. Liu and son went to the Procuratorate to discuss his case. The clerk told them that the case had been returned to the police station due to insufficient evidence, and that they should ask the police station for his release.
Yan pretended he did not know anything about it and suggested that the family go to the Domestic Security Division.
Xu Hairong, head of Domestic Security Division, told the family that the case had been submitted by the police station, and thus the police were responsible for Mr. Ding.
When they returned to the police station Yan told the family to go to the Procuratorate again, claiming that he had not seen the case document.
The clerk at the Procuratorate confirmed again that the case had indeed been returned to the police station. However, Yan still refused to release Mr. Ding.
Friends and relatives told Ms. Liu that Yan was asking for a bribe. However, she has no money since both her husband and son lost their jobs due to the arrest.
