Hunan Man Held in Brainwashing Center for His Faith

At 11 p.m. on July 19, Mr. Lei Yangfan was stopped by the police as he was about to board a train. The Changsha City, Hunan Province resident was then arrested and held at the Sifangping Police Station overnight.

The next day, the police attempted to force Lei to provide information about other Falun Gong practitioners and write a statement renouncing Falun Gong. The police handcuffed his hands behind his back, slapped him, and put him in a chokehold. His neck was sprained and cut after the incident.

Since Lei refused to cooperate, the police took him to the Laodaohe Brainwashing Center, where he has since been detained. His mother, who is in her 70s, is calling on the authorities to release him.

Lei, 48, was previously an HR manager at the Hunan Branch of the Bank of China. Both him and his wife practiced Falun Gong, however, his wife gave up the practice and divorced him due to the pressure of the persecution.

Lei also lost his job for upholding his faith and throughout the years, has been repeatedly arrested, harassed, and detained in brainwashing centers. He served two labor camp terms for four years, during which he was almost tortured to death. During his incarcerations, his elderly parents struggled to care for his daughter and his mentally disabled sister.

Prior to his latest arrest, he was arrested in Changsha at an Internet cafe on May 8, 2010 and held in the Laodaohe Brainwashing Center until May 27, 2010. He was then sent to Xinkaipu Forced Labor Camp without the proper legal procedures.

During his imprisonment, Lei held hunger strikes to protest the persecution. In response, the guards brutally force-fed him. His teeth began to loosen as a result of the torture.