(Minghui.org) Tianjin Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Jian has been illegally detained at Hebei District Detention Center for more than six months. He was one of the 16 practitioners arrested by Tianjin police on December 7, 2016.

The police officers then ransacked his home. They confiscated two computers, one printer, six cell phones, Dafa books and Master Li's (the founder of Falun Gong) photo, and more than 20,000 yuan.

Mr. Zhang's parents had visited the police station, Political and Legal Committee, and Procuratorate several times to get their son released. When their efforts failed, his mother wrote a letter to the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the local 610 Office advising them to do good. The letter was forwarded to the Tiedonglu Police Station two days later.

Officers from Tiedonglu Police Station ransacked Mr. Zhang's home again on April 18. They took away two Dafa books. They also took his mother to the police station. She was released after 9 p.m. the same day.

Mr. Zhang was previously arrested in 2008 for distributing Dafa materials and was sentenced to one year in prison. The persecution resulted in him being divorced by his wife. He had to send his child to his parents, who were in their sixties at that point.

Mr. Zhang is the sole provider for his family. Since the arrest, his parents and child have had to rely on relatives to make ends meet.