Parents Die Six Years Apart in Persecution of Falun Gong, Young Woman Given Seven Years for Her Shared Faith

(Minghui.org) After losing both of her parents to the persecution of Falun Gong, Ms. Sun Yujiao, around 30 years old, was recently admitted to prison to serve a seven-year term for her shared faith.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been targeted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999.

Ms. Sun, of Mengyin County, Shandong Province, was arrested at home on June 10, 2021. The police broke in and searched the home. Ms. Sun and her father’s Falun Gong books, Falun Gong informational materials, a computer, and a printer were confiscated. She was first interrogated at the police station and then transferred to the Linyi Detention Center.

Eight days later, her father, Mr. Sun Pinjin, was arrested in the early evening while still at work. His family was suddenly informed the next day that he had died. His two brothers and a sister-in-law were summoned to a local hospital at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon to verify his identity. They said that dozens of officers surrounded and intimidated them, which left them deeply traumatized.

An officer from the 610 Office claimed that Mr. Sun refused to have the coronavirus test, and that he jumped from a building and died instantly. The police cordoned off the scene and didn’t allow anyone to get close.

When Mr. Sun’s family saw his body again at the Mengyin County Funeral Home, they found that he was leaking brain fluid, one of his eyeballs was missing, and his abdomen and half of his head were sunken. The police refused to allow his family to order an autopsy.

The authorities arranged for the police to closely monitor Mr. Sun’s brothers and his father-in-law, who were not allowed to hire a lawyer, appeal the case, or contact any Falun Gong practitioners. They weren’t even allowed to discuss the compensation from Mr. Sun’s death with others. Police officers also patrolled Mr. Sun’s village, terrifying the villagers as well.

On June 26, the authorities forced Mr. Sun’s family to have his body cremated, leaving the real cause of his death a permanent mystery.

Mr. Sun’s death came only six years after his wife, Ms. Yu Zaihua, also passed away due to the persecution of Falun Gong.

For speaking out about the persecution, Ms. Yu was arrested, held in a brainwashing center, and given a labor camp term. She was forced to live away from home in 2004 to avoid another arrest. She lived a destitute life for eleven years. She developed whole system edema in July 2015 and died on August 19, 2015. She was 47.

Now, nine months following Mr. Sun’s tragic death, Ms. Sun has been sentenced to seven years and been taken to the Shandong Province Women’s Prison. It’s not clear whether the authorities gave her a lengthy term to prevent her from seeking justice for her father.

Related reports:

Shandong Man Dies One Day After Arrest, Body Forcibly Cremated Eight Days Later

Having Lost His Wife to the Persecution of Their Faith, Shandong Man Dies One Day After Arrest

Husband Illegally Sentenced to Five Years in Prison, Wife Destitute and Homeless