Hubei Woman, 74, Dies 66 Days After Serving 3.5 Years for Her Faith

(Minghui.org)

Name: Tang ChangjunChinese Name: 唐常俊Gender: FemaleAge: 74City: WuhanProvince: HubeiOccupation: N/ADate of Death: December 17, 2022Date of Most Recent Arrest: April 12, 2019Most Recent Place of Detention: Hankou Prison

(Minghui.org) A 74-year-old resident in Wuhan City, Hubei Province died 66 days after she finished serving three and half years in prison for upholding her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999. 

Ms. Tang Changjun was released from Hankou Prison on October 12, 2022. She was unable to walk, had slurred speech, and was emaciated. Even so, the local street committee (a Party official) twice harassed her at home, trying to force her to renounce her faith. She died on December 17. 

Ms. Tang lived in the Shuilu Residential Area in Wuchang District, Wuhan City. She went to Hankou in the same city to visit her grandson on April 12, 2019. On her way home that afternoon, she told fellow passengers on the subway that Falun Dafa is good. The subway police noted her and arrested her. At around 10 that night, they took her to her local Ziyanglu Police Station, which refused to accept her. 

Ms. Tang’s family urged the subway police to release her, but they refused and put her back into their cruiser. They turned her over to the local domestic security office before returning to her home. Her family strongly resisted when they tried to raid her home.

The next morning, the domestic security office and Ziyanglu Police Station returned to Ms. Tang’s home with a search warrant. They confiscated her computer, printer and other personal belongings.

Ms. Tang was first held at Wuhan City First Detention Center and later transferred to Police Ankang Hospital. Her family was not allowed to visit her at either place.

Prosecutor Gao Shang of Hanyang District Procuratorate issued a formal arrest warrant for Ms. Tang on May 14. He later indicted her and forwarded her case to Hanyang District Court around November 6, 2019.

The court held a virtual hearing of Ms. Tang’s case at 2 p.m. on September 10, 2020. The presiding judge was Yu Lijin and his two assistant judges were Li Guofen and Yuan Ping. The clerk was Li Hui. No family member was allowed to attend the hearing. 

Ms. Tang defended her innocence. Her lawyers entered a plea of not guilty and demanded her acquittal. 

Nevertheless, Judge Yu sentenced Ms. Tang to 3.5 years and fined her 2,000 yuan on November 9, 2020. Ms. Tang filed an appeal, but it was not clear whether Wuhan City Intermediate Court issued any ruling. Her family and lawyers went to visit her at Police Ankang Hospital and were told she was no longer there. No one told them where she was sent and they looked everywhere before finding out she had been admitted to Hankou Prison.

Her loved ones and lawyers tried several times but the prison never approved their requests to visit her. Her family went there a few more times and were denied visits every time.

Since the persecution began in 1999, Ms. Tang was arrested many times and held in brainwashing centers, detention centers, hospitals and prisons.

On July 23, 1999, three days after the persecution began, Ms. Tang was arrested by the local Ziyanglu Police Station. 

Office Feng Xiaoguang of the Ziyanglu Police Station broke into Ms. Tang’s home in the middle of the night on October 3, 2000 and took her to Hongxia Brainwashing Center, located in Wuchang District. 

There were many anti-Falun Gong slogans painted on the wall of the brainwashing center. Ms. Tang and other detained practitioners removed all of them. She was punished and ordered to stand facing the wall for more than ten hours. 

She was later transferred to Etouwan First Women’s Detention Center in Hankou where officials extorted 3,000 yuan from her.

Chief Lan Bin of the Ziyanglu Police Station led officers Feng Xiaoguang, Wu, and Li staked out Ms. Tang’s home around 8 a.m. on February 20, 2003. They arrested her and sent her to Yangyuan Brainwashing Center in Wuchang District. The guards there cuffed her to a bed and tied up her legs. They held her head and pried open her mouth with a metal spoon. 

Ms. Tang held firm to her faith and they sent her to a local detention center. After being detained there for one month, she was taken to Yangyuan Brainwashing Center, where she was kept for two more months.

A group of officers arrested Ms. Tang at home on the morning of May 19, 2011 and she was taken to Yangyuan Brainwashing Center again.

Perpetrators:

Judge Yu Lijin: 86+84586576, 86+18717176086

Hankou Prison

Address: 28 Jiangda Road, Economic Development Region in Jianghan District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, 430024Mainline: 86+27-83556010Prison affairs division: 86+2783556018／6+2783556186Visits registration: 86+2783556027Political division: 86+2783556016

More perpetrators’ contact information is available from the Chinese version.