Victim:

Zhu Xuezhi, male, businessman, hometown of Tianjin Cit y, China, now a resident of Lyngby, Denmark

Location:

Denmark

Description:

In July 1999, when the Chinese government started the persecution of Falun Gong, Mr. Zhu Xuezhi owned quite a few successful companies in his hometown of Tianjin, China. In 2000, he initiated a joint venture of exporting Danish technology products to China, together with a consultancy on the products. So he and his wife traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark on a work permit to run the business. In 2002, all of Mr. Zhu’s businesses (valued about £1 million/1.35 million") in China were seized and closed down by the China National Security Bureau because he practiced Falun Gong. Without any judicial documentation the authorities entered his premises and confiscated his business licenses and all documents relating to his accounts. All his employees were dismissed and questioned about whether they practice Falun Gong. At the same time they were ordered to report any telephone calls from Mr. Zhu.

When his daughter was born in Denmark in 2002, the Chinese Embassy in Denmark refused to issue a Chinese passport in her name.

On May 5th, 2003, Mr. Zhu went to the Chinese Embassy in Denmark to apply for the renewal of his passport. He filled out an application and submitted all of the documents required, and he was given a receipt with a note reading "Wait for notification by phone." After 20 days had gone by, Mr. Zhu still had not received a phone call from the Chinese Embassy, so he went there to ask for the result. The clerk said: "We cannot grant your renewal" and then returned his old passport and application form. When Mr. Zhu asked him the reason for the refusal, he said that it was because Mr. Zhu practices Falun Gong and it is China's policy to not process passport applications that are filed by Falun Gong practitioners. The clerk then asked Mr. Zhu to make a decision, telling him if he would give up practicing Falun Gong, or promise to stop, the embassy might consider granting his passport renewal. However, Mr. Zhu declined to make such a promise.

Without a valid passport, Mr. Zhu has had difficulty extending his working permit in Denmark and was not able to apply for a visa to travel to other countries.