Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Summary of Cases Transmitted to Governments and Replies Received

Communication sent on 13 September 2005 with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences

99. The Special Rapporteurs brought the two following cases to the attention of the Government:

On 21 May 2002, police officers from the Zhonggong police station arrested Ms. Ren Shujie, 42, living in the Tiexi District, Shengyang City, Liaoning Province, for practicing Falun Gong. She was later sentenced to three years of forced labour and was detained at the Longshan Labour Camp. No charges were brought against her and she was provided no hearing before a court of law. She went on hunger strike for 64 days, during which time she was subjected to torture and harsh labour for fifteen hours daily. After bringing an end to her hunger strike she continued to be tortured by the prison guards, including Tang Yubao, who subjected her to electric shocks. On 22 March 2004, she was transferred to Masanjia Labour Camp where she was forced to sleep on cement floors for three months. She was released on 24 December 2004, due to her extremely weak conditions, weighing less than 40 kg, whereas at the time of her arrest she weighed 80 kg. The several complaints that Ren Shujie made to the prison guards, who were the only authorities she had access to, provided no response or amelioration to her conditions of detention.

On 21 January 2000, Ms. Liu Yunxiang, aged 32, living in Yangjiazhuang village in Junbukou Township was arrested by police officers belonging to the Junbukou Township of Weifang City in Shandong province, for practicing Falun Gong. No charges were brought against her and she was provided no hearing before a court of law. She was subjected to severe beatings, and the men who were also arrested with her were forced to beat her and the other arrested women on their hips. During her detention, she was forced to curse the founder of Falun Gong, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, which is against Falun Gong principles. As a result of this treatment, Ms. Liu Yunxiang miscarried. She was released on 20 January 2000 after having paid for her release. In the Summer of 2001, she was arrested again for practicing Falun Gong and was once again subjected to torture including electric shocks, as a result of which she miscarried a second time. After twenty days of torture, she was sent to a detention centre for another month, after which she was released.

To view the full report, visit: http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G06/121/25/PDF/G0612125.pdf?OpenElement