(Minghui.org) A married couple and their son were all sentenced to prison following their arrests in November 2016 for sending out texts exposing the Chinese communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Because the Chinese regime has blocked all legal channels for Falun Gong practitioners to protest the persecution, they use creative means, including sending text messages, to raise the awareness of the persecution.
The mother, Ms. Yang Xianfeng, has developed a mental disorder and two tumors after being detained for 21 months. Her family's request to have her released on medical parole has been repeatedly denied by Zhejiang Province Women's Prison.
Fist-sized Tumors
Ms. Yang was sentenced to three years and nine months in late 2017 and her appeal was rejected by Jinhua City Intermediate Court on December 26, 2017. She was the admitted to Zhejiang Province Women's Prison. By then she had been in the Jinhua Detention Center for over a year, during which time she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The prison issued a notice to her family on December 31, 2017, that Ms. Yang would be on put on medication that had certain side effects.
Ms. Yang's family and lawyer filed multiple requests for her medical parole, but prison officials turned them down and refused to provide the results of her medical exams.
A recent examination indicated that Ms. Yang had an ovarian tumor and an adenomyoma, each the size of a fist. Her family tried again, but their parole request was rejected one more time.
Detained and Subjected to Brainwashing
Ms. Yang, a former textile expert at a cotton mill in Macheng City, Hubei Province, had been arrested and detained several times previously.
Police stopped her at a train station on September 25, 2000, and detained her for over 40 days. Because Ms. Yang was a key technical expert in the plant, her situation was discussed in over eight factory-level meetings before it was decided to no longer employ her.
After the Lantern Festival in 2001, factory officials took her from her home to a brainwashing facility in the plant. Because Ms. Yang refused to give up her belief, guards hung her up by her arms overnight, with her feet barely touching the ground.
During the Olympic Games in 2008, Macheng City officials arrested her at home on March 26 and took her to a brainwashing center two days later. The guards and “transformed” practitioners threatened her, kicked her, and hit her in the mouth with a broom. An armed police officer also shocked her numerous times with an electric baton.
Family of Three in Three Prisons
Ms. Yang, her husband Mr. Zhou Dunwang, and their son Zhou Liang visited her sister on November 2, 2016. They were arrested on their way home after it was discovered that they had sent texts with information about Falun Gong. All three were sentenced to prison, despite their lawyers' demand for their acquittal. Ms. Yang was given 3 years and 9 months; her husband, 3.5 years; and their son, 1 year and 9 months.
The family hired three new attorneys, who appealed their sentences, but Jinhua Intermediate Court ruled to uphold the original rulings. The attorneys then requested medical exams for the family so that their parole requests could be processed. The appeals court ignored the requests and ordered the three be admitted to prison. Ms. Yang was taken to the Zhejiang Women's Prison on December 26, 2017. Two days later, her husband was taken to Zhejiang Second Prison and her son to Zhejiang Fourth Prison.
The lengthy mistreatment and stress have put tremendous pressure on the family, leaving both Ms. Yang and her son mentally disordered.
Related Reports:
Despite Appeals Entire Family Sentenced to Prison for Their Beliefs
Friends and Family Petition for the Release of Family of Three
Hubei Family Put on Trial for Sending Falun Gong-Related Text Messages
