Zhang Qingmei was a female practitioner from Huafeng in Ningyang County, Shandong Providence. In 1999, Zhang Qingmei and her husband, Liu Huadong, went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong; however, the two were detained after they returned home. During their detention, the vice-deputy director of the police station in Lingshan viciously rural beat Zhang Qingmei until she fainted. The police station released Zhang and her husband only after they extracted some 10,000 Yuan RMB from the couple's family [Note: This is about 2 years salary for an assembly line worker in China]. In addition to the fine, the police often threatened and harassed Zhang Qingmei and Liu Huadong, and they were both detained in a "transformation class." During this time, the police station closely monitored Liu Huadong to prevent him from appealing to higher authorities. Liu completely lost his freedom. During the Chinese New Year, the police station required that Zhang Qingmei report to the police station every day. On March 3, the police forced Zhang Qingmei to either sign a repentance statement or be sentenced to a labor camp. Then in the early morning of March 4, Liu Huadong's work unit took him to their Security Department and threatened him. In the end, Zhang Qingmei died as a result of the persecution.