(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Liu Xitong, 56, a famous
calligrapher from Shandong Province, was illegally sentenced
to four years of imprisonment by the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) in May 2008 in Qingdao City for practicing Falun Dafa. Before this,
he was detained and persecuted at the detention center in Qingdao City by CCP
officials, who claimed a need to "maintain security for the Olympic
Games." His family was prohibited from visiting him. Presently, he is being
held in the No.1 Shandong Provincial Prison. His family went to visit him but
were denied entry. The 11th ward of Shandong Province Prison is a dark den, infamous for its
prisoner orientation team that specializes in brainwashing Dafa practitioners.
Mr. Liu refused to give up his belief in Falun Dafa. Because of this, he
suffered inhuman torture. Mr. Liu's body and mind were seriously damaged. Mr. Liu Xitong, a famous calligrapher in Qingdao City and a member of the
Chinese Calligrapher Association, was illegally held twice in a forced labor
camp for practicing Falun Gong. To promote traditional culture, Mr. Liu held
several successful and well-received calligraphy exhibits in Weifang and Anqiu,
Shandong Province in 2007. From November 3 to 8, 2007, Mr. Liu Xitong
successfully held a six-day calligraphy exhibition in the Publishing Art Hall in
Qingdao City. Thousands of people visited the exhibition and the media widely
reported his event. Artwork in the Calligraphy Exhibit TV Station reporter interviewing Mr. Liu When the 610 Office and the Politics and Legal Committee discovered the
exhibition, they ordered the Public Security Bureau and Department of Culture to
pressure the venue to cancel Mr. Liu's exhibit. During the exhibition, numerous
plainclothes police officers loitered about on site. On November 12, 2007, Mr.
Liu Xitong and his wife, Ms. Liu Aifang, were arrested by officers from the
Xiangtan Road Police Station in Licang District of Qingdao City. Mr. Liu's home
was ransacked and many of his works of calligraphy were confiscated. Mr. Liu was
detained for a month and was held in the No. 1 Detention Centre in Qingdao City
before his formal arrest on December 14. On May 13, 2008, in Li Cang District Court in Qingdao City, Mr. Liu was
sentenced to four years in prison for practicing Falun Dafa. Only five people
were allowed in the courtroom during his hearing. No.1 Shandong Provincial Prison: Chen Ran, warden, team 8 of the 11th ward: 86-531-87072680
Guo Jian, team 8 of the 11th ward: 86-531-87072680
Posting date: 11/2/2008
Original article date: 11/1/2008
Category: Eyewitness Accounts
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2008/10/25/188478.html