(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Li Yinghui's family has been trying to visit her since her arrest in December 2013, but the police berated them and refused any family visitation. The family later hired a lawyer, but still met with changing demands and constant refusals, and after much effort failed to see Ms. Li.

Ms. Li, from Songyuan City, Jilin Province, was arrested by officers from the Domestic Security Division of the Songyuan City Police Department, on December 23, 2013.

Family's Attempt

Ms. Li's family tried again on the morning of February 27, 2014, to visit her. On asking the Domestic Security Division for visiting rights, officer Xi Chunyu yelled at Ms. Li's 70-year-old mother. At around noon, all of the officers went out for lunch and the family waited in the empty hallway. An officer named Du arrived at the office at 1:40 p.m. After being asked for visiting rights, Du started yelling at the family, pushed them out of the office and threatened to hit them. Ms. Li's family waited until the office was closed without getting a response.

Filing Complaint

The next morning, the family brought an attorney to the Songyuan Detention Center to see Ms. Li. Shi Hongliang the head of the detention center told the attorney he must verify his identification and documents at the Lawyers Management Office in the Songyuan City Bureau of Justice before they could see her. After the attorney went to the Lawyers Management Office, the person in charge called Shi and said the attorney had received permission to visit Ms. Li. The family and the attorney went back to the detention center, but Shi said that it would take 48 hours to arrange for the visitation.

The family and the attorney then filed a complaint against Shi Hongliang with the Songyuan City Police Department. Inspector Liu Fengkun called Shi and inquired about the situation, and then consulted with two supervisors. The family was told that they could visit Ms. Li. On their way to the detention center, Shi called the attorney and said, “You cannot visit Ms. Li if you don't have Songyuan City Bureau of Justice's certificate of proof.”

They turned around and went to the Lawyers Management Office, but the office would not issue the certificate. Shi, using that as an excuse, canceled the visitation.

Background on Ms. Li

Ms. Li worked as a janitor in Changshan Town. Although she worked harder than others, she was only paid 500 yuan. She didn't complain about her pay and conducted herself according to the Falun Gong principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Ms. Li was the caretaker of her elderly parents and son before her arrest. No one is now taking care of them.