(Minghui.org) Hongqiao District Court in Tianjin illegally tried and sentenced to prison a former police inspector, his wife and his older sister on January 27, 2014.
Mr. Li Yugang was given three and a half years, and is now serving time at Binhai Prison. His wife Ms. Bo Jie and his sister Ms. Li Yanxia each received five years. Both women are now being detained at Tianjin Women's Prison. Already Ms. Li Yanxia has suffered a mental collapse due to abuse suffered at the prison.
Shortly after his wife's arrest in May 2012, Mr. Li Yugang, a police inspector at No. 25 division of Tianjin National Security Department, received pressure from his workplace to slander Falun Gong. He firmly refused to comply and submitted an application to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party. His boss then demoted him in response.
When Mr. Li's sister was arrested on February 23, 2013, both he and his wife were implicated. While his wife was taken to a detention center, he was put under illegal detention at his workplace for more than two months. During this time he was constantly pressured to resign from his job, which he eventually did.
Ms. Bo Jie used to suffer from many illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis, cervical spondylosis, and a gynecological disease. The symptoms disappeared shortly after she began practicing Falun Gong in the spring of 2011.
Ms. Bo was arrested and held for 15 days for telling people her personal story of benefiting from Falun Gong in May 2012.
On January 6, 2013, Ms. Bo was arrested a second time while handing out literature exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. She spent over 20 days in detention this time.
When Ms. Bo's sister-in-law Ms. Li Yanxia and nephew Li Peilin were arrested together with about a dozen other practitioners on the evening of February 23, 2013, Ms. Bo and her husband Mr. Li Yugang were also taken into custody. The police later ransacked both Ms. Bo and Ms. Li's homes.
Ms. Bo's health quickly deteriorated. Although her husband, sister-in-law and nephew were released within a few months, she remained incarcerated.
Ms. Li Yanxia is in her 50's. Prior to her practice of Falun Gong, she was plagued by a serious kidney disease. She was so weak that she had difficulty taking care of herself, let alone work or do household chores. It was her son that helped her discover Falun Gong and a return to good health.
Like her sister-in-law, Ms. Li was also determined to share with people her positive experience with Falun Gong. However, she too was persecuted.
Following their arrest on February 23, 2013, Ms. Li and her son Li Peilin were forced to go through brainwashing sessions at a local detention center for several months before they were set free.
Ms. Li was arrested again on July 17, 2013 when her brother Mr. Li Yugang was captured upon his arrival at Jieyuantao Police Station that day. The police had lured him there, telling him that his incarcerated wife needed him to deliver some medicine there.
As her brother left for the police station, a group of police broke into his house and arrested Ms. Li, who happened to be helping with household chores there. Ms. Li has suffered a mental collapse due to abuse experienced at the prison.