Crimes of Gu Xuefei, Deputy Governor of Henan Province and Director of the Provincial Public Security Bureau, in Persecuting Falun Gong

Title or Position:

• April 2021 – Present: deputy governor of Henan Province; director of the provincial Public Security Bureau
• January 2018 – April 2021: secretary of the Party Leadership Group and chief prosecutor of the People’s Procuratorate of Henan Province
• February 2015 – January 2018: chief prosecutor of Hangzhou People’s Procuratorate in Zhejiang Province
• August 2008 – February 2015: deputy secretary of the Party Group, deputy chief prosecutor, inspector, and candidate for chief prosecutor of Hangzhou People’s Procuratorate in Zhejiang Province
• March 2002 – August 2008: chief prosecutor of Zhoushan City People’s Procuratorate, Zhejiang Province
• December 2000 – March 2002: prosecutor of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Procuratorate, director of the Public Prosecution Division
• December 1998 – December 2000: deputy secretary of Fuyang Municipal Party Committee; secretary of Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Hangzhou City

 

Main Crimes

Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, Gu Xuefei has held major leadership positions in the procuratorial and judicial systems, where he is directly responsible for the persecution of countless Falun Gong practitioners. His move to the Henan provincial procuratorate in January 2018 only intensified his involvement in the persecution, allowing him to orchestrate the abuse of Falun Gong practitioners throughout the entire region.

 

Crimes as Chief Prosecutor of the Henan Provincial Procuratorate Between January 2018 and April 2021

As a representative to the National People’s Congress, as well as the secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Henan Provincial Procuratorate and its chief prosecutor, Gu slandered Falun Gong on March 12, 2018, while taking part in an online video interview titled “Visible Justice.” He claimed to “crackdown against violence, terrorism, cults, and other crimes, while actively participating in the special campaign against cults.”

Practitioners Sentenced in 2018

According to Minghui.org, in 2018, 36 Falun Gong practitioners in Henan Province were sentenced, including 14 in September alone.

Six practitioners from Xinyang City, including Mr. Bai Guoxian, 80; Ms. Tao Yuhua; and Ms. Yang Chengyun, were arrested on March 16, 2017, and sentenced by the Zhumadian Yicheng District Court on September 19, 2018. Their sentences were:

• Mr. Bai Guoxian: Eight years in prison with a 26,000-yuan fine
• Ms. Tao Yuhua: Eight years in prison with a 30,000-yuan fine
• Ms. Yang Chengyun: Eight years and six months in prison with a 30,000-yuan fine
• Ms. Li Junhua: Seven years and six months in prison with a 20,000-yuan fine
• Ms. Ding Xuemei: Seven years and six months in prison with a 20,000-yuan fine
• Ms. Yang Shanping: Two years in prison with a 6,000-yuan fine

Mr. Bai was later transferred to Zhengzhou Prison. Due to long-term mistreatment, his health took a turn for the worse. In the second half of 2019, he developed high blood pressure and had difficulty breathing. He was released on medical parole and passed away on April 19, 2021.

Mass Arrests and Sentencing from 2019–2020

According to available data, 102 practitioners were sentenced in Henan Province from 2019 to 2020. In August 2020, 27 practitioners were tried and six of them were arbitrarily sentenced.

Around August 30, 2019, police from the Nanyang City Public Security Bureau carried out a large-scale arrest. At least 80 practitioners were arrested, and more than 130 practitioners’ homes were searched without warrants. Twenty-seven practitioners, including Mr. Zhao Peiyuan and Mr. Wang Wei, stood trial on August 11, 2020. They were sentenced to terms from seven months to 13 years and fined between 3,000 and 50,000 yuan on December 30, 2020.

In March 2021, 14 practitioners, including Ms. He Ximei, Ms. Cao Ailan, and Mr. Wang Tiezhuang, were sentenced to terms from three to nine years and fined between 5,000 to 30,000 yuan.

 

Crimes Since April 2021 as Vice Governor of Henan Province and Director of the Provincial Public Security Bureau

Gu became the deputy governor of Henan Province and the chief of the Public Security Bureau since April 2021. His direct involvement in orchestrating the persecution campaigns intensified the suppression in Henan Province. In less than two years after he took office, at least eight practitioners, including Mr. Li Xianxi, Mr. Guo Baojun, Mr. Bai Guoxian, Mr. Li Jianshe, Mr. Li Guoxun, Ms. Li Dianqiu, and Mr. Li Wenran, died as a result of the persecution in the province.

Inciting Hatred with Propaganda on College Campuses

On the morning of April 15, 2021, the Henan Provincial Public Security Bureau held an opening ceremony at Henan University of Economics and Law for an “anti-cult campaign” to spread propaganda on college campuses across the province. This campaign featured an animated film defaming Falun Gong titled “The Strategy for Fighting Evil in Colleges and Universities.” The film was directed by Gu and produced by the teachers and students at the university.

During the campaign, more than 2,800 display boards were placed in colleges and universities across the province, over 50,000 brochures were distributed, and more than 1,000 posters were put up.

Mobilising the Police to Arrest Out-of-province Practitioners

According to a report in 2021 on Minghui.org, 90 Falun Gong practitioners were sentenced in Henan Province that year, the fifth highest in the country. Another 237 arrests and 95 incidents of harassment were also reported.

In 2021, the police in Henan arrested many practitioners in other provinces. Mr. Li Bin of Botou City, Hebei Province, was arrested on April 28, 2021, by officers from the Anyang Public Security Bureau. Ms. Dai Zhiying of Shanghai was arrested by police from Luoyang City on April 12, 2021.

Ms. Sun Lijuan of Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, and her husband Mr. Zhang Baoguo were arrested at their home on April 25, 2021. The officers who arrested them were with the Jiefang District Domestic Security Office in Jiaozuo City, as well as the local police in Jinzhou. On April 28, Ms. Sun was transferred to Jiaozuo City Detention Center and Mr. Zhang was detained in the Jinzhou City Detention Centre.

Between the end of October and early November 2020, the police in Luoyang arrested more practitioners, including Ms. Fu Nijuan from Zhijiang City, Hubei Province; Mr. Li Fuchun from Beijing; and Mr. Wu Jiajian from Laixi City, Shandong Province. They were held in the Luoyang City Detention Centre. On April 25, 2021, they were indicted by prosecutor Wu Jiangyang of the Jianxi District Procuratorate of Luoyang and sentenced by the Jianxi District Court of Luoyang.

 

Persecution Deaths

Case 1: Mr. Li Xianxi Died in a Detention Centre

Mr. Li Xianxi of Anyang City was arrested on May 11, 2021. After one month of detention, he died on June 12 at the age of 52. His body was emaciated. His head was swollen and he had injuries to his waist, back, and knees. When his family members asked about the cause of his death, the detention center guards could not answer. His family members refused to sign his cremation form.

Case 2: Mr. Li Jianshe Tortured to Death 16 Days Following His Arrest

Mr. Li Jianshe of Zhumadian City was arrested on June 20, 2021, and taken to the Zhumadian City Detention Centre. On July 2, his family was informed that Mr. Li had been taken to the hospital for emergency care. One of his family members saw that his back, arms, and neck were swollen, and he was on the verge of death. He died in the hospital on July 6, 2021.

Case 3: Mr. Li Dianqiu Dies from Constant Harassment

Ms. Li Dianqiu of Xinyang City was followed and arrested while distributing Falun Gong pamphlets on the street in December 2021. Her home was searched without a warrant. When she failed the physical exam, she was denied admission to the detention centre and released. Yet she faced continued harassment by the police and community workers. The harassment took a toll on her health, and she passed away on August 5, 2022. She was 79.

Case 4: Mr. Li Wenran Wrongfully Sentenced and Dies from Mental Distress

Mr. Li Wenran of Nanyang City was arrested and had his home raided without a warrant on May 15, 2019. He was sentenced to a year and a half in 2020. After the detention centre refused to admit him due to his health, he was put on residential surveillance and ordered to attend brainwashing sessions from time to time. He succumbed to the mental distress and passed away on January 25, 2022. He was 79.

 

More Selected Cases of Persecution

Case 1: Accountant Ms. Lou Yahong was force-fed by prison guards and developed high blood pressure

Ms. Lou Yahong, in her 50s, of Xuchang City was arrested at home on December 15, 2021. She was sentenced to four years in prison by the Weidu District Court in early July 2021. She appealed to the Xuchang City Intermediate Court, but the judge ruled to uphold her original verdict.

Ms. Lou was taken to Xinxiang Women’s Prison in Henan Province in early November 2021. She went on a hunger strike for several days and was force-fed, which led her to develop high blood pressure.

Case 2: Mr. Zheng Jiajin, in His 80s, Ordered to Serve Nine Years in Prison

Mr. Zheng Jiajin, 81, of Xinxiang City, Henan Province, was arrested on August 28, 2020. He was sentenced to a one-year and eight-month prison term on May 19, 2021. Since he had previously been sentenced to seven and a half years in 2015 but had not served his sentence, he was taken back into custody in June 2021 to serve a total of nine years and two months after the latest prison sentence.