(Minghui.org) After one year in prison for refusing to give up his faith in Falun Gong, the former chief editor of a radio station in Xingtai City, Hebei Province, is almost totally blind in both eyes and also has a severe heart condition. More details about his current situation aren’t clear.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Chen Xingbo, 70, was arrested on November 24, 2019, outside of his apartment, when he returned from grocery shopping. The police first interrogated him at the Gangtiebeilu Police Station and then transferred him to the Xingtai City No.1 Detention Center.
When Mr. Chen didn’t return home hours later, his wife, Ms. Sun Lanping, became worried. She kept calling him, but no one answered. Shortly after that, Zhu Xijiang, Song Jiaxi, and ten other officers showed up and ransacked their home.
To secure her husband’s release, Ms. Sun hired a lawyer for him and tried to bribe the officials not to torture Mr. Chen in custody. She spent all of their savings and went into debt. The physical and mental stress of running around town to seek his release took a toll on her health. She suffered a medical condition but didn’t go to the hospital, trying to save the money to rescue her husband.
Despite her efforts, Ma Junxiao, the presiding judge of the Xiangdu District Court, sentenced Mr. Chen to three years on September 10, 2020, charging him with “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used to criminalize Falun Gong practitioners.
Mr. Chen appealed the verdict, but the Xingtai City Intermediate Court ruled to uphold the original sentence on December 7, 2020. Mr. Chen was admitted to Tangshan Prison on January 5, 2021.
Shortly after Mr. Chen was sentenced, the Xingtai Radio Broadcasting Station removed him from the retirees’ roster and suspended all of his retirement benefits.
On January 26, 2021, Xingtai Radio Broadcasting Station employees found Ms. Sun and demanded that she return the 80,000 yuan in pension payments made to Mr. Chen during his past 15 months of detention. When she refused to comply, the authorities threatened to sell their house or suspend Ms. Sun’s own pension.
Related reports:
Former Radio Station Chief Editor Imprisoned for His Faith, Loses All Retirement Benefits
Toronto, Canada: Rally Calls for Immediate Release of Falun Gong Practitioner Detained in China
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