In a recent incident, Shaanxi petitioner Guo Shiyuan, known for his long-term reporting on the illegal activities of Shaanxi Provincial Prosecutor General Wang Xuguang, was forcibly taken into custody by the police in Hu County on the evening of August 18 along with his wife, Shi Cunxiang. The authorities have recently stated that they are conducting a mental health evaluation on Shi Cunxiang, causing great concern among family members who fear that the otherwise mentally sound elderly individual may be further persecuted by being sent to a mental institution.
According to Shaanxi petitioner Guo Quan (alias), on September 18, several rights activists accompanied Guo Shiyuan’s son, Guo Kangli, to the Xi’an Public Security Bureau’s petition center to report the situation. Guo Quan mentioned that at that time, “The attitudes of the bureau personnel were very hostile, claiming that Guo Shiyuan and his wife’s case must go through legal procedures and end in criminal sentencing.”
On September 19, the group visited the Hu District Public Security Bureau to request bail for Shi Cunxiang. Guo Quan described how, “The police were arrogant and refused to accept any documents, stating that they were in the process of conducting a mental health evaluation on Shi Cunxiang and denied her bail.”
Guo Quan emphasized that everyone who knows Shi Cunxiang personally understands that she is mentally sound. “The authorities insist on subjecting a mentally healthy individual to a mental health evaluation. We suspect they are attempting to frame her with insufficient evidence in order to confine her to a mental hospital or a black jail.”
This incident has not only raised concerns among family members but also among other petitioners. Wang Li (alias), a Shaanxi petitioner, stated that similar incidents have occurred before, with numerous petitioners being unlawfully sent to mental hospitals for persecution. For instance, petitioner Liao Jing from Yang County in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, has been secretly held in a mental hospital for three years with no sign of release, while actual mentally ill individuals like victim Wang Xiaogang have been detained in detention centers, deprived of treatment, and ultimately tortured to death.
Guo Quan remarked, “If Guo Shiyuan and his wife can be arrested today, others could be next. We are not just advocating for Guo Shiyuan but for our own rights as well.”
Another petitioner, Wang Xiaoqin, expressed that with the Fifteenth Central Inspection Team stationed in Shaanxi this time, there has been a continuous influx of petitioners lining up every day, but the grievances in Shaanxi remain unresolved, causing widespread public discontent.
In June of this year, over 550 individuals in Shaanxi jointly submitted a petition, requesting the former CCP leader Hu Jintao, Wang Yang, and the Fifteenth Central Inspection Team to investigate judicial corruption. However, their efforts were met with silence, and the WeChat group leaders Guo Shiyuan and his wife were unlawfully arrested.
On the night of August 18, at 9 pm, a group of plainclothes police officers in Hu County, without presenting any identification or legal documents, deceitfully convinced Guo Shiyuan to open his door and then forcefully took him away. Shi Cunxiang intervened but was also apprehended. On the morning of the 19th, at 10 am, the police with locksmiths forcibly entered Guo Shiyuan’s home to conduct a search. Subsequently, the authorities criminally detained the two individuals, and they remain in custody to this day.
On August 21, petitioners’ representatives submitted a joint report to the provincial petition office with 256 signatures, urging the release of Guo Shiyuan and his wife and attaching relevant surveillance video discs. However, they have yet to receive a response.
On September 23, some petitioners once again jointly petitioned the Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Li Xi, demanding the immediate release of Guo Shiyuan and his wife.