(Minghui.org) Her heart sank when she learned of her son's death by torture for refusing to renounce his faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Wu Shujie was still serving her own prison term for practicing Falun Gong when she heard about the death of her only child, who died on June 17, 2003, a few weeks shy of his 24th birthday.
The single mom from Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province and her late son Mr. Wang Weihua had both been repeatedly detained for their faith. Ms. Wu was once given 1.5 years of forced labor and 7 years of imprisonment, while Mr. Wang was tortured and killed while serving a 4-year prison term.
Ms. Wu could barely walk when she was released from prison in 2010. Now that six years have passed, she is determined to share her and her son's ordeal so that the world can glimpse the relentless persecution of Falun Gong.
Once Miserable Life Filled with Hope
Ms. Wu's life was full of misfortune. Her father died when she was 10. Her husband abused and beat her and once broke her arm. She divorced when her son was 12 years old.
Ms. Wu suffered many illnesses—chronic migraines, arthritis, and tuberculosis, among others. Practicing Falun Gong since 1993 cured her diseases and brought joy into her life. Her son also joined her in the practice. Their life was filled with laughter again.
Mother and Son Arrested and Tortured
The brutal persecution shattered the mother and son's happy life. They went to Beijing to speak out for Falun Gong after the persecution started in 1999. They were arrested on October 20, 1999 and beaten while in detention. Ms. Wu was sentenced to a year and a half of forced labor. Her son was released.
Her son went to Beijing again in early December 1999 and was arrested. During detention, the police stripped him of all the clothes except his underwear, poured freezing water over his body a dozen times, and forced him to stay in the cell with the window open. He was later released.
In Wanjia Labor Camp, Ms. Wu was forced to do hard labor from 6 am until 9 pm every day. Camp authorities subjected her to brainwashing in an attempt to force her to give up her practice of Falun Gong.
She refused and was locked up in solitary confinement for two and a half months. The guards forced her to remain standing day and night. They would lock her in the iron chair and beat her when she fell asleep. She was released from the labor camp on May 15, 2001.
Mr. Wang was arrested again on January 8, 2001 by Qiqihar City Police, his home ransacked and personal belongings confiscated. The police beat him, hung him up, subjected him to the Iron Chair, and squeezed his scrotum.
Soon after Ms. Wu was released from the labor camp, in late June 2001, her son was hospitalized and released on bail for emergency medical treatment due to his dire situation as a result of the torture.
Both Sentenced to Prison
A few months after reuniting with her son, on September 20, 2001, the police arrested them both at their home. This time Ms. Wu was released in March 2002 while her son was sentenced in January 2002 to four years in prison and detained in Harbin City's 3rd Prison.
Ms. Wu was arrested in early 2003 again while visiting another practitioner in Harbin City. During detention, the police beat her, locked her in the iron chair, and shocked her finger tips with electric batons. When she fainted, her tormentors revived her with cold water before continuing.
She was later sentenced to seven years in prison and taken to Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison on May 12, 2004. The authorities did not notify her sister and other family members of her whereabouts.
Mother Learns of Son's Death One Year Later
While in detention, Ms. Wu had no idea that her son had been detained in the same city and had died in Harbin City's 3rd Prison in June of 2003. It wasn't until about one month after her transfer to the prison in 2004 that she learned of her son's death from another detained practitioner.
Prison Abuse against Mother
At the women's prison, Ms. Wu was detained in the “strictly disciplined ward,” which was specifically designed to force practitioners to denounce Falun Gong. She suffered beatings and was subjected to prolonged periods of standing, as well as various other corporal punishments. As she remained steadfast in her belief, she was not allowed to step out of her cell for nearly six of the seven years in prison.
By the time she was released from prison in 2010, all of her hair had turned gray. She had lost almost all of her teeth and could barely walk on her own.
Related Reports:Torture Death of Dafa Practitioner Mr. Wang Weihua in No. 3 Prison, Harbin City, Heilongjiang ProvinceSupplemental Information about Qiqihar City Falun Dafa Practitioner Wang Weihua's Death in the No. 3 Prison of Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province
