For practicing Falun Gong, Mr. Xie Yunhuan, 27, a resident of Jidong County, Heilongjiang Province, was arrested and detained in Tuanhe Labor Camp in Beijing on March 12, 2001. During his detention, he was forced to attend a brainwashing class, contracted scabies, and was repeatedly tortured. At the end of July 2001, Mr. Xie was taken to No.1 Detention Center in Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province, and detained until August 2002. For his first 42 days in the detention center, he was not allowed to sleep, being shocked by an electric baton whenever he closed his eyes. He was not given any food except a bowl of soup every morning and afternoon. At the end of August 2002, Jiguan District Court of Jixi City conducted a show trial, and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Before the trial, the police tortured him severely, trying to make him confess to false charges, and didn't allow him to sleep for over 10 days. During the trial, his family members were not allowed to enter the courtroom, and he was not allowed to choose an attorney. He is detained  at Hadagang Prison, Jidong County, Heilongjiang Province, in No.1 Team, No. 3 block.

At Hadagang Prison, Mr. Xie is jailed in a cell less than 20 square meters in size, but holding more than 40 people. The guards often have shocked him with electric batons. He has been allowed to eat very little during the detention period. None of his family members are allowed to see him. Further, he and other practitioners detained at Hadagang are forced to do hard labor over long shifts at a coalmine. Mr. Xie has lost much weight because of the mistreatment he has suffered in prison.

Mr. Xie’s family members are also being persecuted because of their practice of Falun Gong. Their house phone has been tapped, and his mother, sister, sister-in-law all have been illegally detained several times. His mother, Ms. Zhang Qingmin, 60, was illegally detained 5 times by Jidong County police since January 2000, and detained in jail for over 3 months. She has been forced to be homeless for the past two years, in order to avoid being arrested at home, and her former employer has withheld her retirement pension over this time.

Mr. Xie’s sister-in-law, Ms. Zhao Yumei, 38, went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in December 2000, and subsequently was detained in Jidong County Detention Center for nearly 4 months. Her husband paid 6000 RMB Yuan to have her released. Her house was searched in August 2002, and she was later detained in Jixi No.1 Detention Center for one week where she suffered psychological and physical abuse. Her husband paid a further 1700 RMB Yuan for her release.

Mr. Xie’s sister, Ms. Xie Mingjuan, 35, has been illegally detained four times. She was homeless for 6 months in 2000, to avoid being arrested at home. After she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong at the beginning of 2001, and was illegally detained, placed under heavy surveillance for several months, and her salary was withheld for a year. Later, she was sentenced to 2 years at a forced labor camp.

Mr. Xie’s brother, Mr. Xie Yunjie, 31, went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in January 2000. He was subsequently detained for 39 days at Bin County Police Station in Heilongjiang Province. His employer helped his release, but he is being closely watched by the designated personnel.