(Minghui.org) The intermediate court in Benxi City, Liaoning Province ruled that it was illegal for a local social security center to suspend Ms. Zhang Fengyun’s pension. The social security center, however, refused to reinstate the payment as ordered by the court and proceeded to revoke Ms. Zhang’s retirement status.

Ms. Zhang is a resident of Benxi County, which is under the administration of Benxi City. Her ordeal is a result of the persecution against her faith in Falun Gong, which has been targeted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. With the eradication policies of “ruining their reputations, bankrupting them, and destroying them physically,” Falun Gong practitioners across China have been subjected to arbitrary arrests, incarceration and torture since 1999, as well as the financial devastation targeting their pension in recent years.

In August 2020, the Benxi County Social Security Center (“Center”) orally informed Ms. Zhang that because she was sentenced to seven years in May 2003, they suspended her pension and ordered her to return the fund received during the prison term. The Center also refused to provide any legal documents to support their decision.

Ms. Zhang contacted Meng Xiangui, the director of the Center, explaining to him the persecution she had suffered and that it was illegal for them to suspend her pension. Meng refused to listen and instead proceeded with their decision.

Ms. Zhang filed an administrative complaint against the Center with Benxi County Court, demanding the Center to return her suspended pension and resume payments.

On July 2, two weeks after the hearing on June 16, 2021, the judge rejected Ms. Zhang’s claim. She received the verdict on August 3.

Ms. Zhang appealed with the Benxi City Intermediate Court, which agreed that the Center had illegally suspended her pension. It ruled in her favor on October 27, ordering the lower court to dismiss their decision on her case and the Center to cover her legal fees.

Despite the intermediate court’s ruling, the Center claimed that they followed the directive from the Benxi City Social Security Center and refused to comply with the court order. Director Meng also gave the instruction on November 17, 2021, to revoke Ms. Zhang’s retirement status approved by her workplace in March 2005.

Ms. Zhang contacted Fan Zengjun, the director of Benxi City Social Security Center, and complained about how Meng stripped her of her legally protected retirement benefits. Fan claimed that he would investigate.

When Ms. Zhang followed up with him weeks later, Fan said since Meng had already revoked her retirement status, they may re-evaluate her qualification and re-calculate the new amount of benefit she might receive. But no update has ever been provided since.

Perpetrators’ contact information:
Meng Xiangui (孟宪贵), director of Benxi County Social Security Center: +86-13050281298, +86-24-46831546Zhang Xinkui (张新奎), Director of Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Benxi County: +86-24-46821239Fan Zengjun (樊增军), Director of Benxi Social Security Management Center: +86-24-42851157Bing Zhongyou (邴忠友), Director of Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Benxi City: +86-24-42808655