(Clearwisdom.net) Zhou Xiangyang, male, 36, former engineer at the No. 3 Design Institute of the Ministry of Railroad in Tianjin. His hometown is Changli County, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. For remaining steadfast in practicing Falun Dafa, Zhou Xiangyang has been illegally detained in the following facilities in Tianjin: Shuangkou Forced Labor Camp, Yushan Forced Labor Camp in Ji County, Jianxin Forced Labor Camp, Hexi Detention Center, Liyuantou Prison and Gangbei Prison. While being incarcerated in Guangbei Prison, he was so grossly mistreated and abused that he was in critical condition. We have recently been informed that Zhou Xiangyang was released from prison on July 28, 2009.

Zhou Xiangyang was subjected to torture numerous times. He was once shocked with electric batons all night long, resulting in his whole body being covered with wounds and bruises. He was once deprived of sleep for 30 consecutive days. On multiple occasions, he was locked up in solitary confinement, tied up tightly, beaten and administered other types of torture. All this abuse left him injured all year long, and his life was in great danger several times. He was on hunger strike in Gangbei Prison for over a year, and as a result, he was weak, unable to walk, and could not take care of his bowel and bladder movements. He was twice sent for emergency treatment, and lay suspended between life and death.

As the persecution of Zhou Xiangyang is particularly grave, Falun Human Rights Working Group submitted this persecution case to the United Nations Human Rights Commission on July 17, 2009.

Since 2001, Falun Human Rights has submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and numerous international non-governmental organizations and governments of many countries, over 10, 000 persecution cases of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Among them many cases have been documented in the annual reports of the UN Human Rights Commission. All these reports were brought to the notice of governments of all countries. The CCP's persecution has been exposed internationally, and documented by all countries. Among all types of torture cases happening in China the United Nations Committee against Torture has received, the two thirds are the persecution cases of Falun Gong practitioners.

Regarding the persecution of Zhou Xiangyang, Falun HR will also assign personnel to follow up with the special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Commission, to have this case included in their new batch of letters of inquiry to the CCP authorities. According to International rules, once the UN rapporteur makes an inquiry about a certain case with a member state, the state must respond, follow up and investigate.