(Minghui.org) Ms. Wang Dongmei from Pingdu City, Shandong Province endured seven days of terror after being arrested while visiting a fellow Falun Gong practitioner in a police station. She was brutally interrogated, subjected to a physical examination and a body search, made to do forced labor and was threatened with incarceration in a mental hospital.
With the combined effort of her family, friends and a lawyer, Ms. Wang was released on June 15, 2016 after seven days of detention. While recounting her terrifying experience, Ms. Wang said, “I had heard how terrible the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) treated Falun Gong practitioners, but now I have experienced it first hand.”
Arrested While Visiting a Friend in a Police Station
Ms. Zhang Zhilan, a friend of Ms. Wang, was arrested on June 9, 2016 at a farmers market while clarifying the facts about Falun Gong. Ms. Wang and several other practitioners heard the news and immediately went to Damujia Police Station in Gaomi City to visit Ms. Zhang.
With permission from a police officer, Ms. Wang entered the room where Ms. Zhang was detained. She was going to give her a bottle of milk.
Four officers immediately pounced on Ms. Wang and pinned her down. They then dragged her into a room and started interrogating her. They demanded to know where the items in her bag came from. They proceeded to photograph her and conducted a body search.
Then they took her to a local hospital for a check up. Four police officers held her down on the hospital bed while she was being examined. When the checkup was done, they dragged her to the police car and returned to the police station. On the way back, they threatened to send her to a mental hospital for an injection if she “did not cooperate.”
In the police station, they continued to interrogate Ms. Wang and tried to force her to renounce her belief in Falun Gong. They told her that if she cursed the founder of Falun Gong, she would be allowed to leave. Ms. Wang refused. The officers gave up around midnight and said, “We have been really nice to you today. You haven't even been handcuffed. Think it over carefully tonight. If you cooperate with us tomorrow, you will be released.”
The next morning, several officers interrogated her again. She refused to be fingerprinted, so they roughly grabbed her hand and said, “No matter what, we'll take your fingerprints today, even if we have to break your fingers.” Ms. Wang yelled in pain as they tried to force her hand open. Guo Yucheng, deputy of Pingdu City 610 Office, arrived at the station around 9:00 a.m. and left without getting Ms. Wang to renounce her belief.
Ms. Wang was taken to Weifang Detention Center on June 10. In the afternoon, during a medical exam, her cardiac stress test and a urinalysis both failed. When they took her back to the hospital a second time, the doctor said, “She may have a heart problem.” However, the police still sent Ms. Wang to the detention center.
Detained in Weifang Detention Center
In the detention center, Ms. Wang was stripped and forced to put on a prison uniform.
The prisoners were forced to start work in the morning without breakfast. The labor involved preparing garbage bags for government employees, and the glue used was very toxic.
For the only meal, they were given a small dish of cooked Chinese cabbage with the roots still attached. Those prisoners with a so-called “good performance” rating might get a piece of pickle added. Only cold water was provided for washing.
The Falun Gong practitioners were forced to watch a TV playing videos that slandered Falun Gong. If anyone made the guard unhappy, everyone in the cell would be punished.
The deplorable conditions in the detention center caused many people who had been detained for a long time to experience joint pain, constipation and other health problems. It was so overcrowded that everyone had to sleep on their side with only about 20 centimeters or 8 inches of space per person. There was only a short break each day for inmates to go outside for much needed fresh air. Everyone was also forced to recite the prison rules.
Ms. Wang was taken back to Pingdu City in the afternoon of June 15, 2016. She was first sent to the Pingdu 610 Office. Guo Yucheng, deputy of the Pingdu 610 Office and several others tried to make her write a guarantee statement. Ms. Wang firmly refused.
Ms. Wang's husband was there at the time and under great pressure. So he joined the guards in trying to get her to renounce her belief. He even beat her. In the end, they didn't succeed and eventually let her go home.
Extortion and Financial Loss
In order to secure her release, Ms. Wang's husband was extorted for 15,000 yuan. He was also required to pay 240 yuan for the medical checkup when she was in the Damujia Police Station and 300 yuan for the detention center uniform. Ms Wang’s purse, which contained nearly 1,000 yuan when police confiscated it, was empty upon her release. The detention center also deducted another 330 yuan from the money her husband was forced to deposit when she was arrested. They said it was for the prison uniform that had already been payed for.
Parties responsible for the persecution of Ms. Wang:Chen Yutao (陈玉涛), police officer from No. 2 Team, Gaomi City Domestic Security Division, in charge of Ms. Wang's caseLiu Debin (刘地彬), head of Damujia Police Station, 86-13864691696 (c)Guo Yucheng (国玉成), deputy of Pingdu City 610 Office, 86-15615887178
