(Minghui.org) Nineteen Falun Gong practitioners and one non-practitioner from Tianjin were arrested between July 3 and 14 for suing former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin for initiating the persecution of Falun Gong that caused them tremendous harm.

Many remain in detention. In particular, Ms. Huang Fenglian was given three months of detention, while her non-practitioner husband was sentenced to 4 years in prison for trying to stop the police from taking his wife away from their home. The couple were also fined 20,000 yuan.

After China's Supreme Court announced that it will process every complaint it received, Falun Gong practitioners have filed 66,528 criminal complaints against Jiang Zemin in a month's time. In their complaints, they urge the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court to bring Jiang to justice.

Practitioners in Ninghe County, Tianjin, were no exception in suing Jiang for their suffering. The local authorities, however, ordered the post office to stop processing practitioners' complaints starting June 15. However, Ninghe practitioners continued to sue Jiang by using other mail services or post service in other locales.

Yuan Tongli, Secretary of Tianjin's Political and Legislative Affairs, visited Ninghe on June 24. Nine days later, the Tianjin Police Department mobilized all of its officers to arrest Falun Gong practitioners in Ninghe. By July 14, 19 practitioners and one non-practitioner have been arrested.

The practitioners arrested include Mr. Gao Jingyi, Ms. Hu Guijin, Zhang Yongli, Mr. Di Shiqi, Ms. Feng Shaohua, Mr. Li Jingzhong, Ms. Huang Fenglian, Ms. Dong Chaofeng, Ms. Zhu Shujun, Ms. Tang Hongxiu, Ms. Mo Weiqiu, Ms. Tian Li, Ms. Yang Guirong, Ms. Wang Fengxian, Ms. Wang Yingmei, Ms. Sun Huanli, Ms. Li Chunxia, Ms. Zhao Xiuyuan, Ms. Ren Xiuyun.

Among them, Ms. Dong Chaofeng was released on bail. Ms. Zhu Shujun was detained for 10 days and released. Ms. Wang Fengxian and Ms. Wang Yingmei were released the same day of arrest.

The rest of them, including the couple mentioned at the beginning, are still in detention.

Background

In 1999, Jiang Zemin, as head of the Chinese Communist Party, overrode other Politburo standing committee members and launched the violent suppression of Falun Gong.

The persecution has led to the deaths of many Falun Gong practitioners in the past 16 years. More have been tortured for their belief and even killed for their organs. Jiang Zemin is directly responsible for the inception and continuation of the brutal persecution.

Under his personal direction, the Chinese Communist Party established an extralegal security organ, the “610 Office,” on June 10, 1999. The organization overrides police forces and the judicial system in carrying out Jiang's directive regarding Falun Gong: to ruin their reputations, cut off their financial resources, and destroy them physically.

Chinese law allows for citizens to be plaintiffs in criminal cases, and many practitioners are now exercising that right to file criminal complaints against the former dictator.

Over 80,000 File Charges Against Jiang Zemin Despite Difficulties