Doorbell Video Shows Moment Shanxi Advocate is Apprehended by Plainclothes Police

Newly obtained video footage and family accounts indicate that Chen Zhongli (陈忠丽), a veteran advocate and elderly mother, was detained in Shanxi and remains held at Chenzhuang Detention Center (陈庄看守所). The clips show multiple plainclothes police surrounding Ms. Chen moments before they forcibly enter her home.

Following the news, the Falun Dafa Information Center interviewed two close friends of Ms. Chen who live in North America. They both hope for Ms. Chen’s release and for her safe return home as soon as possible. “I knew Chen Zhongli back when I was still in China,” said Liu on November 20. “She is a calm person with strong character and integrity. Seeing that she was taken away and that her arrest was unlawfully approved has left me deeply saddened.”

Another friend said they felt “deeply weighed down and heartbroken.” Ms. Chen was known to take “great care of the people around her. She is an upright person who can truly put herself in others’ shoes. Chen has used her own firsthand experiences to advocate for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong.” Family and friends are also deeply concerned about her health in custody, given her pre-existing heart conditions.

Footage of home break-in

Recorded at the family’s residence on Sept. 5, plainclothes officers from Gucheng Police Station in Pingcheng District arrive with a locksmith and appear to discuss how to open the door—suggesting an intent to force entry. A few hours later, Ms. Chen returned to her residential compound and was detained.

After Ms. Chen was taken to the police station, officers allegedly claimed she had been reported by a neighbor for “posting adhesive stickers” in the stairwell. The family says they believe this claim was used as a pretext to target her.

Other Falun Gong practitioners were not detained with her, indicating this may have been a targeted detention and not a mass arrest. Ms. Chen, who previously filed a criminal complaint against former CCP head Jiang Zemin, was detained in 2016 for distributing flyers exposing the persecution of Falun Gong.

Furthermore, an anonymous source informed the family that Ms. Chen’s recent detention may have been tied to a list provided by state security personnel to Datong municipal party secretary Zhang Qiang, and approved with his signature. The family emphasizes this claim is not confirmed.

Confiscated property

The family reports the police seized items including:

• A portrait and images associated with Falun Gong’s founder
• A wall hanging embroidered with “真、善、忍” (“Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance”)
• More than 100 Falun Gong books, including some belonging to a deceased friend of Ms. Chen
• A portable audio player used for meditation music
• Banknotes with Falun Gong information printed

After the search, the family says Ms. Chen was taken to the Pingcheng Branch of the Datong Public Security Bureau for further interrogation. Police reportedly created an inventory of seized items and demanded that she sign it. She refused. That night, Ms. Chen was transferred to Chenzhuang Detention Center, under the Datong PSB’s detention management unit, where she remains.

On September 8, police contacted the family and instructed them to pick up a detention notice from the domestic security unit. The family says the notice listed the detention time as September 6 at 18:00, which differs from their account that she was taken on September 5 in the late afternoon.

Allegations of abuse in detention

Initially, Ms. Chen was held in Cell 501, where detention center guard Guo Jiajia instructed two detainees to beat Ms. Chen after she refused to watch propaganda. The detainees’ names Li Sixian and Sun Yunxiang. The physical assault reportedly lasted several days, and occurred during her first week in custody, but it stopped after one of the detainees became ill. Ms. Chen cared for her during that period, which she believed changed the inmate’s attitude.

After this incident, detainees from Cell 501 were dispersed and Ms. Chen was transferred to Cell 504. However, Ms. Chen reportedly continued to face intimidation. The family relays that Guard Guo allegedly threatened her after legal visits, “I heard everything you said [to the lawyer]… I definitely won’t let you out.”

No rights or rule of law

The family says they deposited money for Ms. Chen on September 11, but she was not permitted to use it. They say basic necessities—such as a towel—were withheld, and she was forced to borrow from other inmates. In addition, detention staff attempted to compel her to memorize detention rules and other text. When she refused, she said daily necessities were withheld as pressure.

On September 23, the Pingcheng District Procuratorate approved her formal arrest without evidence. During this period, domestic security personnel Li Guoyuan allegedly attempted to pressure Ms. Chen to admit “guilt” and accept punishment. When she refused, Li responded: “If you don’t cooperate, we’ll arrest your family too.”

With her formal arrest already approved, the coming months are the most critical window for public attention and outside advocacy. Now is the best chance of helping secure Ms. Chen’s release, before any indictment, trial, or sentencing dates are set. If you’re interested, please send her letters to:

Datong City Chenzhuang Detention Center (大同市陈庄看守所),
Chenzhuang Village, Majunying Township, Nanjiao District, Datong City, Shanxi Province,
山西省大同市南郊区马军营乡陈庄村 
China
Postcode (邮编): 037034