CHINA-On June 25, police drove nearly 200 miles from Tengzhou to Ji'nan to arrest Qi Chonghuai, a reporter for the China Legal News, because Qi helped the Epoch Times break a censored news report. Qi’s whereabouts are unknown.
Qi Chonghuai has been a reporter for 13 years. Qi’s reports to the China Legal News contained information censored by the government. The Chinese authority ordered that his news reports be blocked. Qi then sent his news to the Epoch Times. In June, Qi provided the Epoch Times with information on a village party chief beating a soldier’s family. After the Epoch Times reported the news on June 18, the local police went to Qi’s office in Ji'nan City and interrogated him.
On the night of June 25, several police from Tengzhou went to Qi’s home wanting to arrest him. Qi refused to open the door. At 1:40 a.m. on the June 26, the police attempted to break open Qi’s door, but were thwarted by the three locks on the door. Qi’s wife and two children were terrified by the sound of the police pounding at the door.
A Tengzhou City Public Safety Bureau employee called Qi and told him he had an hour to open the door or the police would break in. Later the police broke down the door and arrested Qi.
An Epoch Times reporter made many calls to the Criminal Team at the Tengzhou City Public Safety Bureau, the Legal Division of the Tengzhou City Public Safety Bureau, the Ji'nan City Public Safety Bureau, the Shandong Province Public Safety Department, the Tengzhou City Commission, and the Tengzhou City Hall. No one acknowledged knowing anything about the arrest. The Epoch Times reporter also called Qi’s home and cell phones, but could not get through.
According to a report from the Beijing News, a police officer of the Tengzhou City Public Safety Bureau confirmed that on June 26 they arrested Qi for “suspected economic crimes.”
