(Minghui.org) A 68-year-old woman in poor health is denied medical parole while serving an eight-year term for her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Xu Meihua, a resident of Dalian City, Liaoning Province, was arrested on October 16, 2014. The police ransacked her home and confiscated her Falun Gong books and related materials, computer, printer and other personal belongings.
She was held at Yaojia Detention Center and was said to suffer from high blood pressure over 220 mmHg.
Ms. Xu appeared in Ganjingzi District Court on May 18, 2015. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea. She also testified in her own defense but was frequently interrupted by the judge.
The judge later sentenced her to eight years. Her appeal was rejected by Dalian Intermediate Court.
Ms. Xu was taken to Liaoning Women's Prison on October 27, 2015. She failed the physical checkup and was rejected admission by the prison.
The police sent her to the prison again on December 8, 2015 and she was accepted this time.
The prison authorities forced Ms. Xu to perform unpaid labor for long hours each day, as well as depriving many of her basic rights. The harsh living condition induced high blood pressure in her in 2018. She also had a surgery on one of her eyes for cataracts and now suffers blurry vision in her other eye.
Although the prison doctor approved her family's request for medical parole for her, the Judicial Bureau in Dalian refused to process her case, even after the prison doctor talked to them himself.
Related report:
53 Older Falun Gong Practitioners Still Held in Liaoning Women's Prison for Their Faith
