New Information Reveals Relentless Torture of Heilongjiang Woman Who Died in Custody at 75 While Serving a 6-Year Prison Term

(Minghui.org) The Minghui.org website previously reported on the death of Ms. Mou Yongxia on July 13, 2023, while she was serving a six-year prison term for her faith in Falun Gong. The retired teacher from Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province was 75 years old.

Ms. Mou Yongxia

Ms. Mou’s family was never told where she was being held after her arrest in 2019. After being admitted to prison in June 2020, she was still denied family visits and barred from contacting them. It wasn’t until April 2023 that she was allowed to call her loved ones. It was only then that her younger son learned of her prison sentence. He then told her that her older son had passed away.

The prison authorities didn’t allow Ms. Mou’s younger son to visit her until May 2023, when she had to be hospitalized. He was heartbroken to see a pale and emaciated woman who was unable to move, talk, or eat. He requested her immediate release but was repeatedly rejected. His mother died one month later on July 13, 2023.

The rest of the report presents newly obtained details about Ms. Mou’s abuse at the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison.

Ms. Mou was assigned to a cell on the fourth floor of the strict management team upon her admission in June 2020. Each cell is about 430 square feet and houses 35-60 people, with five women sharing one double bed. They had to sleep on their sides at night.

The guards allowed only five minutes for restroom breaks, another five minutes for brushing teeth and washing face, and 15 minutes for showers. Already 72 at the time, Ms. Mou struggled to keep up and often ended up with no restroom breaks or showers.

Head inmate Wang Fengchun ordered Ms. Mou to sit on a small stool from morning to night every day. Sometimes, she didn’t let Ms. Mou sleep, and would often hit her with anything at hand.

Ms. Mou refused to admit guilt or answer roll call. The prison guards barred her from contacting her two sons. As a result, she had no one to deposit money into her commissary account, much less purchase additional daily necessities or food. Head inmate Wang even seized the only toilet paper Ms. Mou had with her upon admission.

Ms. Mou was moved to team 11 in January 2022, joining other steadfast Falun Gong practitioners. They were barred from any communication with their families. From around 5 a.m. to as late as 8 p.m. every day, the practitioners were made to sit on a small stool with their backs straight. There were also time limits for restroom use and showers.

Two heaters were originally in the cell, but one was removed to make the practitioners suffer during the cold winters. Ms. Mou, then 74 and the oldest in the cell, was made to sleep next to a window.

Ms. Mou fell off her bed the first night after being moved to team 11 and injured her hand. The prison never rendered any medical attention to her. She had to rely on others to help her wash her clothes.

The relentless torture, plus no communication with her sons, crushed Ms. Mou. She developed a mental disorder and no longer recognized people. She also suffered fecal incontinence. Team lead Pang Shoumei beat her with heavy shoes and instructed other inmates to hit her, resulting in injuries all over her body. The inmates also poured cold water on her. Her mental state worsened, and she was heard screaming at night from time to time.

The guards moved Ms. Mou to the fifth floor in early 2023. Her cell was damp and cold with no sunlight. She was again assigned to a bed next to the window. Despite the use of two comforters, she still shivered from the cold. She and other practitioners were jailed in separate cells and not allowed to see each other. Except for meal times and restroom breaks, the practitioners were forced to sit on small stools from morning until 9 p.m. at night.

The practitioners were divided into five groups and had to take turns using the restroom. Ms. Mou was verbally abused by head inmate Li Guimei the first day on the fifth floor because she was too “slow” in using the restroom. Other inmates often beat her with clothes hangers.

A couple of days before the 2023 Chinese New Year, Ms. Mou was very weak and had to hold onto the restroom door frame as she lined up with her group. Inmate Yang Haiyan said she walked too slowly and pushed her in the back, causing her to fall face down on the cement floor. After others helped her up, they saw that her face was swollen with blue bruises on her cheeks. From then on she was unable to squat to use the restroom. Only then did the prison remove the time limit for her restroom breaks. She suffered frequent urination as a result of the fall and had to get up in the middle of the night numerous times. The inmates beat her for disrupting their sleep.

With little food given to her, Ms. Mou was always hungry and suffered declining health. One of her teeth once fell out while she was chewing. The prison, however, never notified her family or rendered her medical attention.

Ms. Mou’s condition kept worsening. She was eventually unable to keep food down. The prison accused her of “going on a hunger strike.” She died in custody on July 13, 2023.

Related reports:

75-Year-Old Retired Teacher Dies in Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison

75-Year-Old Woman Tortured to Mental Disorder While Serving Six Years for Her Faith

Heilongjiang Teacher, 72, Sentenced to Six Years for Her Faith

Mother and Son Are Deprived of Their Right to Social Identities

Disabled Elderly Woman Detained for Two Months for Her Faith, Authorities Give Family the Runaround

Falun Gong Freed Ms. Mou Yongxia from Illnesses, Persecution Put Her Back in Danger

Harbin Railway Police Actively Persecute Falun Gong Practitioners

70-Year-Old Woman Released on Verge of Death