Mother of Detained Christian Leader Arrested in Beijing

Mother of Detained Christian Leader Arrested in Beijing
Hua Huiqi's 77-year-old mother Shuang Shuying (left) and 88-year-old father Hua Zaichen (right). (The Epoch Times)
2/14/2007
Updated:
2/14/2007

CHINA—On the morning of Feb. 9, while Hua Huiqi, a renowned human rights activist and Christian in Beijing, was still under criminal detention, his 77-year-old mother Shuang Shuying was arrested by Beijing Public Safety Bureau police. They also threatened to arrest Hua’s older brother.

On Jan. 26, hundreds of people gathered outside the Beijing People’s Congress Political Consulting Conference office wanting to appeal to the People’s Congress. Police dispersed the crowd and arrested Hua Huiqi. On Feb. 5, the Zhaoyang District Police Station sent Hua’s family an arrest notice. The notice stated: “At 6 a.m. on Jan. 27, Hua Huiqi was picked up for criminal detention for obstruction of justice. Hua is currently detained in the Zhaoyang Detention Center.” There wasn’t any information about how long Hua would be detained, the name of the officers in charge or the date the case was processed.

Hua Huiqi's notice of arrest. (The Epoch Times)
Hua Huiqi's notice of arrest. (The Epoch Times)

Police Slash Brother’s Tires

Hua’s family told the Epoch Times that since Hua’s arrest, his parents went to every related office to appeal for their son. On February 7, Deputy Director Dong (first name unknown) from the Chongwen District Recreation Center Police Station went to Hua’s mother Shuang Shuying and said, “We arrested your second son. You can bet that some day we will arrest your older son.” Dong gave Shuang a “Notice of Bail and Await Trial” and told her to be ready for court. The family said the police slashed their older son Hua Huilin’s car tires.

On the morning of February 9, Shuang and her husband Hua Zaichen went to the Chongwen District government office to protest. Police arrested Shuang and sent Hua Zaichen home. At noon, the police sent Shuang’s arrest notice to her family. Hua Huilin refused to sign.

Hua Huilin told the reporter the authorities arrested his mother at 9 a.m. and had sent the notice of arrest by noon, “They tore down our house so often for so many years. How come they are not as efficient when we ask them for our house back?” “According to the Law of Criminal Procedure, those who are older than 70 and younger than 14 can waive criminal punishment. They still arrested my 77-year-old mother. They are becoming more and more vicious.”

Hua Huilin worried that his mother’s health would worsen in a cell full of dozens of people. His mother had high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart conditions, and she needed to take her medication several times a day. On the afternoon of February 9, Hua Huilin delivered his mother’s medication to the Chongwen Detention Center but he didn’t get to see her.

Another Round of Persecution

At the same time, several members of family churches in Beijing claimed that the authorities posted many different caricatures in Beijing slandering Falun Gong and Christianity. They worried that Hua Huiqi’s arrest was the start of another round of persecution against Falun Gong and Christianity.

Hua Huiqi has been an active Christian in Beijing since the 1990s. He has been persistent in spreading Christianity. He has been appealing to the authorities on the issue of family churches being demolished. As such, he’s been under police surveillance for a many years.