(Minghui.org) A native of Guangdong Province remains detained for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Mr. Liu Qingqiang lives in Huizhou City and works in Heyuan City. He credits Falun Gong for curing his hepatitis B and freeing him of habitual smoking and drinking. His persistence in practicing Falun Gong, however, landed him in police custody.
He was arrested on September 24, 2016 by several dozens of agents from Huizhou,Heyuan and Huidong County (which is under the administration of Huizhou City). The police proceeded to ransack his home and confiscated his two cars, three printers, two cars, two cell phones, Falun Gong books, and other valuables.
Mr. Liu was held at Heyuan Police Station for three days before being moved to Huidong County Detention Center.
His parents hired a lawyer, Mr. Fan Biaowen, to defend his constitutional right to freedom of belief. Mr. Fan went to the detention center on October 28, but he wasn’t allowed to meet with his client until three days later.
While the lawyer was preparing his defense arguments, the local police descended on Mr. Liu’s family home in Huizhou in the middle of the night to take pictures of his house, his parents, and his child.
The police promised to grant Mr. Liu’s parents a visit with their son and offer him free legal counsel if they agreed to drop their lawyer.
Believing the police, Mr. Liu's parents let Mr. Fan go.
The police then tried to get Mr. Liu to sign papers agreeing to use their appointed lawyers. Mr. Liu firmly refused, as he knew the appointed lawyers wouldn’t enter a not guilty plea for him.
Without Mr. Liu’s signature, the police are keeping him in custody without moving his case forward.
