(Minghui.org) A Dalian City, Liaoning Province resident serving a seven-year prison term at Liaoning Women's Prison is being tortured for not renouncing her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline centered on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. It has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Chen Yazhou was arrested on July 23, 2014 for practicing Falun Gong. She was later sentenced to seven years by Jinzhou District Court and admitted to prison on August 4, 2015.
On the first evening she was taken to the prison, the guards kept her in an empty room with no bed or chairs. She was left sitting on the ground overnight with her hands cuffed. She had mosquito bites all over her body.
The guards took Ms. Chen to the “Correction Division” on the next day, where all Falun Gong practitioners were sent upon their arrival at the prison. This division was specifically created with an aim to make the practitioners give up their belief.
Because Ms. Chen refused to write statements to renounce Falun Gong, the guards forced her to stand from 6 am to 10 pm without a break. She often collapsed and was unable to stand up because of the fatigue from the standing.
Ms. Chen was once tied to a bed for more than 20 hours. The guards cuffed her hands tightly. One inmate pinched her and another verbally abused her. “We are an enforcement organization.” one prison guard said.
Not Allowed to Shower or Buy Sanitary Napkins
With increased international scrutiny of the inhumane treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in Liaoning Women's Prison, the officials have changed from openly torturing the practitioners to more covert methods. This includes denying them of their most basic needs or restricting their purchase of daily necessities.
The guards once prohibited Ms. Chen from taking showers for five days during the hot summer. When they finally let her bathe, they didn't let her change her underwear. She could only wear wet underwear that she'd briefly washed during the shower.
In the winter, the guards took away Ms. Chen's bedding and comforter. In a room without heat, they opened the window to let the freezing wind blow on her. She kept shaking the entire evening and her legs cramped from the cold.
The guards didn't allow Ms. Chen to buy sanitary napkins and only gave her a few tissues, which were barely enough and she often had to reuse them.
According to information collected by Minghui.org, 251 Falun Gong practitioners were serving time at Liaoning Women's Prison in 2018, with the longest term being 15 years. Their ages range from 25 to 80.
Four practitioners passed away in 2018 after being tortured at the prison. They are Ms. Yang Shuwen, Ms. Leng Dongmei, Ms. Liu Jinyu and Ms. Sun Min.
Related reports:
Practitioners Persecuted in Liaoning Women's Prison and Its “Correction Division”
26 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Dalian City in July 2014
Thrice Imprisoned Woman Dies 7 Months After Being Released on Medical Parole
Liaoning Woman Dies Days after Being Released on Medical Parole
Award-winning Teacher Dies While Serving 7 Years for Her Faith in Falun Gong
67-Year-Old Woman Dies Less Than Two Weeks after Release on Medical Parole
