(Minghui.org) Ms. Yan Ping, a teacher from Luoyang Town, Boluo County, has been severely persecuted for her spiritual belief. She was subjected to illegal imprisonment for 18 months, and after she was finally released, she has been continuously harassed by the Luoyang Town officials. In addition, she was fired from her job for not giving up her practice of Falun Gong.

Ms. Yan was a teacher at the Luoyang Town Sixth Elementary School. She worked hard and also volunteered to help underserved students in the countryside. She greatly helped the students to improve their scores and was rewarded for her excellent teaching ability.

Ms. Yan was arrested by officers from the Huicheng District Police Department in Huizhou City while attending a group study at another Falun a Gong practitioner's home on April 23, 2016. She was illegally detained at the Xiajiao Detention Center in Huizhou City until she was transferred to the Guangzhou Women's Prison in 2017.

A Secret Trial and Obstruction of Justice

The Boluo County 610 Office and Huicheng District 610 Office fabricated a case against Ms. Yan. She therefore hired a defense attorney. However, her attorney was prevented from meeting with her by judicial officials. In addition, the head of the Boluo County 610 Office, Lin Weimei, continuously pressured her husband's employer to in turn pressure her husband not to use the attorney.

Ms. Yan was tried secretly by the Huicheng District Court on September 19, 2016. The court did not notify her family of the trial, nor allow any attorney to defend her. Ms. Yan pled not guilty and defended herself, but was still sentenced to a year and a half in prison and fined 5,000 yuan for practicing Falun Gong. The court also failed to notify Ms. Yan's family members about the verdict.

Abused in Detention

Ms. Yan was abused at the detention center and the prison. She was handcuffed and shackled at the detention center because she protested the persecution and went on a hunger strike. She was then tortured and nearly became paralyzed. 

She also experienced extreme stomach pain and could not eat anything. She was taken to a hospital where she underwent many exams, including an MRI and blood tests. However, the detention center did not reveal the results to her. 

Ms. Yan was transferred to the Guangzhou Women's Prison on January 18, 2017.

Ongoing Harassment

She finished her prison term and was released at the end of 2017. Soon after her release, Ms. Yan learned that the Huicheng District Court had frozen her bank account, and she had to pay a 5,000 yuan fine to reactivate it.

Ms. Yan has been continuously harassed by the local Chinese Communist Party officials since she was released. Two deputy chiefs from the Luoyang Town Justice Office visited her home once, and Deputy Chief Lin made a video recording of her. Lin also called Ms. Yan four times to harass her on January 12, January 15, February 11 and March 2, 2018.

Being persecuted for her faith is not new to Ms. Yan, as she was fired from her job as a school teacher in 2011 for practicing Falun Gong. The Boluo County 610 Office detained her at the Sanshui Brainwashing Center in Guangzhou City for nearly a year in 2011.

Related article:3. [Huizhou City, Guangdong Province] Eleven Practitioners Arrested