China intensifies persecution of Falun Gong practitioners

In Liaoning province, 72‑year‑old Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Yuzhen has been held in illegal detention for more than seven months. During his confinement his health sharply declined, developing heart disease, high blood pressure and multiple cerebral infarctions. He is now unable to walk, is blind, and reports that the detention centre restricts his water intake, putting his life at risk. His family has appealed for his unconditional release.

In Hebei province, retired civil‑servant Jia Fengxian, also a Falun Gong adherent, successfully challenged the illegal seizure of her pension by the local social‑security bureau. The court ruled the bureau’s action unlawful, overturning a decision that had deducted her retirement benefits and demanded repayment of 480,000 yuan. Similar cases have seen courts in Liaoning declare pension cuts for Falun Gong members illegal, highlighting a pattern of state‑sanctioned financial and personal repression against the religious group.