(Minghui.org) A 57-year-old Harbin woman serving a 14-year term at Heilongjiang Women's Prison for her faith in Falun Gong has recently filed a motion to reconsider her case.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body improvement practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Tian Xiaoping decided to file the motion shortly after she resumed practicing Falun Gong in recent months. She had previously renounced her faith against her will in 2012 after being brutally tortured by guards.
Upon her imprisonment in 2012, Ms. Tian was subjected to a round of torture aimed at forcing her to stop practicing Falun Gong. The guards savagely beat her, stripped her of her clothes, and poured ice-cold water onto her. She was also tied up and forced to sit on a small stool for up to 17 hours each day without moving. As a result, her buttocks became ulcerous and festered.
She passed out after not being allowed to sleep for three days. She was forced to write a statement to renounce her faith after waking up. She developed high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression shortly afterward.
When her family visited her on March 14, 2013, they were shocked to see that she could not walk without help or speak clearly. She trembled due to severe spasms.
After years of physical suffering and mental torment, Ms. Tian decided to resume her practice of Falun Gong. “Rather than being tortured to death by you in the prison, I'd rather persevere in my faith with dignity. As long I'm still breathing, I won't give up my faith again,” she told the guards.
After she began to do the Falun Gong exercises, she saw a quick improvement in her health. She was able to walk and take care of herself again.
Deciding not to acknowledge the persecution any longer, she decided to file the motion to reconsider her case to seek justice for herself.
Targeted for Helping Widow Seek Justice for Husband's Wrongful Death
Ms. Tian was arrested on November 13, 2011 together with over 40 practitioners while listening to the wife and daughter of the late Mr. Qin Yueming recount the difficulty they met seeking justice for him. Mr. Qin died from torture at Jiamusi Prison on February 26, 2011 while serving a 10-year term for practicing Falun Gong.
The police sprayed tear gas and used electric batons to subdue the practitioners.
Ms. Tian was hit and cut on her forehead. Her shirt was torn to pieces. Her eyes were red and swollen for ten days because of the tear gas.
While she was being held at Harbin No.2 Detention Center, the police tied Ms. Tian to a chair with her arms behind her back and kicked her knees. Her arms turned purple from the beatings. The officers also used a high-intensity light to burn her face. Her lips cracked.
Ms. Tian was tried together with five other practitioners arrested on the same day on May 28, 2012 by Shuangcheng City Court. Five lawyers entered a not-guilty plea for them.
The judge became furious when two of the lawyers spoke positively about Falun Gong and told the court that their clients had been tortured by police. The judge called in guards to drag the lawyers out of the courtroom and confiscated their personal computers.
Although the prosecutor recommended prison sentences of three to five years for the practitioners, the judge sentenced four practitioners to 14 years and the other two to 13 and 11 years.
Related reports:
Heilongjiang Province: Ms. Tian Xiaoping Illegally Sentenced to 14-Year Prison Term
Ms. Tian Xiaoping Wrongfully Sentenced to 14 Years in Heilongjiang Province
