In April 2005, 350 Falun Gong practitioners have been confirmed as being tortured to death in China. According to Clearwisdom.net, 203 (58 percent) of those who were tortured to death in April were women and 223 (64 percent) were over 55 years old, including 72 who were in their 70s.

Woman in Her 70s is Beaten to Death at Home by the Police

On Dec. 27, under orders from the 610 Office in Xiamen city, the chief of police led several hundred police officers in groups of seven on a citywide rampage to arrest Falun Gong practitioners and illegally confiscate their belongings. At 9 p.m., the police raided the home of 74-year-old Chen Xiuchong. The police confiscated her belongings. When she tried to fight for her Falun Gong books, she was pushed to the ground. White foam immediately flowed from Chen's mouth and she became unconscious. The police officers who were present continued to kick her and said that Chen was pretending to be dead. She died that evening.

The Brutal Death of a Teenage Girl

Zhang Yichao was a lively and happy girl. She grew up in a warm and loving family. Because she refused to sign papers at school slandering Falun Gong, she was pressured and threatened with dismissal many times by school official Meng Xianmin along with the 610 Office and the local police. She was only 13 years old at the time and had once been denied entry to the school.

In May 2002, Zhang's parents were arrested. On several occasions, the 610 Office and local police in Inner Mongolia illegally raided their home and confiscated their belongings, slashed the beds and sofas and even dug three feet down into the vegetable beds. Zhang, who was then 15, was forced to leave her home town to go to cities such as Shenyang and Dalian to work. On April 6, 2005, Zhang, who was physically and mentally exhausted, died in a town far away from her home. She was only 18 years old.

After Multiple Arrests and Torture, Victim Dies after an Unjust Charge

Yu Huiqin, 44, was from Beijing. She suffered from kidney complications and lived a difficult life. After starting the practice of Falun Gong in July 1998, her chronic illness quickly disappeared. Yu's family was amazed by the miracles of Falun Gong. Her husband, Hai Jiang also started to practice Falun Gong.

After the former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and his regime launched the persecution against Falun Gong, the couple was arrested and had their belongings confiscated. Yu's husband, after his third arrest on Sept. 27, 2002, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Yu had twice been sent to a forced labor camp in Beijing where she was brutally persecuted. The police and prisoners used toilet paper to stuff her mouth, used tape to seal her mouth and stuffed her nose to prevent her from breathing.

On Nov. 4, 2004, Yu was sent home after being severely tortured. She was very weak and fell unconscious at times. Her entire body was swollen and she vomited frequently. She said she had been injected with unknown drugs. At 6 p.m. on April 16, 2005, Yu died without being cleared of an unjust charge. Her two children had no income and were unable to pay for the cost of their mother's medication and funeral. Many times, they sought help from city officials but received none. Yu's son, Jiang Pengfei, said, "If no one is willing to help, then I will drag my mother's dead body to Tiananmen Square." The comment quickly got the officials' attention and on the afternoon of April 23, Yu's body was cremated.

According to reports, since the persecution began almost six years ago, at least 1,982 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death. These cases have been confirmed through civilian channels of communication.