Hongyu Zhang will never forget the day in 2014 when she escaped China leaving her father behind, alone. Just 6 months prior, she lost her mother who died of torture in police custody.  Zhang, now a permanent resident of the United States, said that her biggest fear is losing connection with her father in China. On Aug. 13, when she could not reach her father by phone, she knew it was time to face her biggest fear.
Zhang and her parents are practitioners of Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that consists of meditative exercises and moral teachings. The practice garnered over 70 million followers in the late 1990s in China because of its health benefits and moral improvements. The Chinese regime, out of a fear of Falun Gong’s rapid growth and popularity, launched a persecution against the group in July 1999….