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The Police in Yongji County, Jilin Province Seize Falun Gong Practitioners to Extort Ransom

The National Security Team of Yongji County Police Department in Jilin Province schemed to collect more "bonus" money at the end of the year by doing everything possible to extort money from Falun Gong practitioners. Recently, they seized several practitioners in order to extort ransom. They said the practitioners would be released as long as the ransom (a "fine") was paid. Otherwise, they threatened that the practitioners would be sentenced to forced labor.

At about 9:00 a.m. on November 5, 2007, approximately six officers from Tienan Police Station and the National Security Team, including Deputy Chief Li Shixun, Yin Hang and Wang searched practitioner Ms. Li Fenghua's home. Ms. Li escaped using righteous thoughts. The officers took Ms. Li's husband away and released him after an illegal interrogation. Ms. Li was forced to become homeless to avoid arrest and further persecution.

After practitioner Ms. Sun Xiaomei called Ms. Li's home, she was taken into custody by police officers who were monitoring nearby. The officers also searched Ms. Sun's home and took her husband away. He was released after interrogation.

On November 6, 2007, approximately eight officers broke into practitioner Ms. Zhang Fengrong's home and took her into custody. They seized VCDs and other items. Nearly 30 days have passed and she has not been released. The officers also took Ms. Zhang's son, who was working in Jilin City, to the police station and interrogated him. Mr. Sun Baoyu, Ms. Zhang's husband, was forced to become homeless.

After Ms. Sun Xiaomei and Mr. Zhu Yeguang were taken into custody, the officers extorted a huge fine from their family before releasing them. Ms. Zhang Fengrong's family is impoverished and could not pay the so-called fine. The officers refused to release her and threatened to sentence her to a labor camp for two years.