(Minghui.org) Fourteen residents of Changsha City, Hunan Province were arrested on October 27, 2020 for their faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. A 74-year-old woman was also harassed on the same day.

Ms. Xu Lihua was the first to be arrested on October 27, at around 6 p.m. when she had just returned home. Over ten plainclothes officers confiscated her Falun Gong books, computer, printer and other office supplies. She was sent from the Xihu Police Station to the Changsha City No. 4 Detention Center around 9 p.m. on October 29. 

Hours later, at around 10:30 p.m., eight practitioners were arrested while studying Falun Gong teachings together at Mr. Li Zhigang’s home. They are Mr. Li, Mr. Chen Yang, Ms. Cao Zhimin, Mr. Cao Zhifang and his wife Ms. Yang Fang, Ms. Long Langqiong, Ms. Yu Hui, and Ms. Wen Jing.

Ms. Liu (first name unknown), Mr. Yin Fuliang, Ms. Gong Xianghui and her husband Mr. Lu Congying were arrested not long after the arrest of above eight practitioners.

All of the arrested practitioners had their homes ransacked that evening. It’s known that Ms. Wen Jing was brought back home around 12:35 a.m. by six officers. She was handcuffed and had a black hood covering her head. The officers ransacked her home for over two hours and didn’t leave until 3 a.m. 

The police interrogated the practitioners the next day and sent them to several detention centers on October 29. 

The last arrest of October 27 happened around 11 p.m., when over a dozen officers broke into the home of Ms. Zhang Lingge’s mother in order to arrest Ms. Zhang. The officers handcuffed Ms. Zhang and forced her mother to sit on her bed without moving. Then they took away their cellphones and searched the place. Several copies of Ms. Zhang’s Falun Gong books were confiscated. 

At 2 a.m., the police brought Ms. Zhang back to her own residence, searched it and took pictures of it. Ms. Zhang was detained in the Guitang Police Station and her current situation is not clear.

In addition to the above-mentioned arrest cases, Ms. Xia Jingze, 74, was harassed on the same day. 

Liang Li, a staff member from the residential committee, knocked on Ms. Xia’s door around 4: 30 p.m. He claimed that he was conducting a census. Ms. Xia said that she has just answered the census questions days ago, but Liang insisted on talking to her in person. 

When Ms. Xia opened the door, Liang and eleven officers rushed in. The officers held Ms. Xia and her daughter in the living room and then searched the other rooms. Many of her personal belongings were confiscated. The officers also forced her to open her locked cabinets and checked what was inside. 

When Ms. Xia asked where those officers came from and demanded to see their IDs, they remained silent. With her repeated requests, one officer identified himself as Wang Peng from the local police department. 

The officers stayed at Ms. Xia’s home until around 7:00 p.m. They then brought Ms. Xia and her daughter to the Wangyuehu Police Station. She was taken to the police department around 10 p.m. and released at around 1:00 a.m. The officers threatened her to not go out to distribute Falun Gong informational materials and they have sent people to monitor her movement every day.