(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Zou Lizhi and Mr. Zou Zhongyou, her younger brother, both practitioners from Yi County, Liaoning Province, were teachers at the Dayushubao Town Middle School. They continued their Falun Gong practice despite the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong that began on July 20, 1999. They were arrested, detained, and sentenced to forced labor and jail several times. Zou Zhongyou was persecuted to death in the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp two years ago. He was only thirty-five years-old. His sister, Zou Lizhi, was sentenced to nine months in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. On February 12th of this year, the Yi County Court sentenced her to five years in jail. She is now in the Liaoning Province Women's Prison.

Zuo Zhongyou Persecuted to Death

Mr. Zuo Zhongyou was born in Dayushubao Town, Yi County, Liaoning Province, in 1971. He was a middle school teacher. In October 1999, he went to Beijing to validate the Fa but was arrested and sentenced to two years in the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp.

In March 2000, he managed to leave the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp and went to Beijing to validate the Fa again. He was arrested at the Xingcheng Railway Station and was again sent to the Jinzhou Forced Labor Camp. He was locked in solitary confinement for seven days. Guards Liu Huaizhong and Xu Guangquan from the Sixth Division beat and kicked him. They shocked him on his neck and back with two electric batons. During the day time he was forced to work with handcuffs on, while at night he was handcuffed to his bed. On October 12, 2000, Political Commissar Zhang Haiping, Deputy Director Jin Fuli, Team Leaders Liu Tielin and Han Lihua, along with Section Chief Chen Ligang personally participated in torturing him, because Mr. Zuo refused to be "transformed." They brainwashed him and used electric batons to shock him on his head, face, genitals, belly, and his entire body. He then went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. Guards tried to force feed him with cornmeal mush mixed with large quantity of salt, but he refused to open his mouth. The camp doctor, Chen, tried to pry open his mouth and damaged his teeth. Mr. Zuo was emaciated severely within a month and had very low blood pressure and swollen shins. Under the extreme pressure, he compromised against his will. He was released on April 25, 2001.

In October 2001, he was arrested again because he said "Falun Dafa is good." He was sentenced to two years of forced labor. In the Jinzhou Forced Labor Camp he was severely beaten. Guards shocked him with four electric batons and he was locked in solitary confinement for a long time. They also forced him to sit on an iron stool and deprived him of sleep.

In July 2002, the Jinzhou Forced Labor Camp aggressively tortured all the practitioners who were determined in their beliefs. Director Zhang Haiping took part in the persecution in person. Inmates Yin Jiejin, Jiao Zhonghua, and Zhang Huidong viciously beat Mr. Zuo. His legs were swollen and his chest was swollen for more than ten days after Yin Jiejin hit him with his fists fifty or sixty times. Mr. Zuo dared not cough or touch his chest. He was in handcuffs for three months and was forced to sit on a stool for fifteen hours everyday. He was only allowed to go to the toilet three times and was forced to sit like that for four months. He suffered from dysfunction of the heart, lungs and kidneys, coughed, and couldn't catch his breath. Zuo Lizhi passed away on May 29, 2006, at the age of thirty-five.

Zuo Lizhi Secretly Sentenced to Jail

Ms. Zuo Lizhi was born in Dayushubao Town, Yi County, Liaoning Province, on September 5, 1968. She was a teacher at the Dayushubao Town Middle School.

Ms. Zuo started to practice Falun Gong before July 20, 1999. She tried to live a life according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She became healthier, both mentally and spiritually, and was more tolerant.

After the suppression of Falun Gong began, she was persecuted many times. On July 24, 1999, officials from the town government took her away to a brainwashing center. She was tortured there for two days and two nights and was quite traumatized.

On September 23, 1999, she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong again. She was again arrested and was sent to the Yi County Detention Center. She was detained for fifteen days and had 1360 yuan in cash extorted from her.

On October 13, 1999, officers from the county police department arrested her and took her to the Yi County Detention Center. After one month in detention, she was taken to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. She was there for nine months and severely beaten and mistreated. Her salary was also withheld for one year, depriving her of almost 4500 yuan.

From before the 16th Congress sessions were held from 2002 to 2006, Ms. Zuo was repeatedly harassed by CCP officials from the county and town governments. She was forced to leave home and live elsewhere for about four months and lost 300 yuan of her salary.

On August 2, 2008, officers from the Yi County Domestic Security Division and the Dayushubao County Police Station arrested her. On October 10, the Yi County Court put her on trial. Ms. Zuo stated how she had benefited from practicing Falun Gong. Her lawyer also entered a not-guilty plea for her. The judge and the public prosecutor were speechless and ended the session in a rush. The Yi County Police Department still put her in the county detention center. In opposition to the existing laws and without any trial or notification of her family, the Yi County Court secretly and illegally sentenced her to three years in jail on the charge of "utilizing an illegal religion to sabotage the implementation of the law." She lodged an appeal with the Jinzhou City Intermediate Court.

On January 19, 2009, several officials from the Jinzhou City Intermediate Court went to the Yi County Court, saw Ms Zuo, and questioned her in person without notifying her family. They said that meeting was her Intermediate Court session. At the time no sentence was announced.

Ms. Zuo's mother, Han Zhixi, then submitted complaints to the Jinzhou City Intermediate Court, the Jinzhou City Procuratorate, the Liaoning Province Supreme Court, and the Liaoning Province Procuratorate and requested that the Jinzhou City Intermediate Court revoke the illegal judgment handed down by the Yi County Court.

However, on February 14, 2009, Ms Zuo's family received notification of Ms Zuo's secret sentence of five years in jail handed down by the Yi County Court. They also told Ms Zuo's family that ten days later she would be sent away. Her family members t hen went to see her but were not able to meet with her until two days later. Even then they were separated by glass, and the family members were not allowed to be near her. They spoke only two sentences and couldn't hear her clearly, but the police quickly ushered them away.

Her family members asked for the verdict on the 18th, but the Yi County Court told them that they had given it to Zuo Lizhi in person. The family went to the county detention center again, demanding to see Ms Zuo, but a doorman told them that she had already been sent to Dabei Prison in Shenyang.

We hope that people with conscience will show their concern about this matter.