76-year-old Woman with Deformed Spine Sentenced Again for Her Faith
(Minghui.org) A 76-year-old woman whose spine was deformed as a result of torture for practicing Falun Gong was recently sentenced again to two years for her faith.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Mei Yufeng
Ms. Mei Yufeng, a retired watch factory worker in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, was arrested on February 20, 2021, and detained in the Nanchang City No.1 Detention Center. She suffered a severe medical condition due to the abuse and mental pressure during her incarceration and was twice hospitalized.
The local court handed down Ms. Mei's two-year sentence in early 2022. Every since she was admitted to the Jiangxi Province Women’s Prison, the authorities have denied her family visits, citing the pandemic as an excuse. Her family is very worried for her safety.
In addition to Ms. Mei, another practitioner, Ms. Liang Meihua, is also denied family visits in the prison. Ms. Liang was sentenced to two years and eight months on July 18, 2020. She was taken to the prison in September 2021. She developed a severe lung condition and was hospitalized. Her family strongly demanded her release on medical parole, but was rejected.
Meanwhile, two more practitioners are also being subjected to prosecution for their faith. Ms. Huang Zuoping was arrested around November 10, 2021 and tried in May 2022. She is currently held at the Nanchang City No. 1 Detention Center and it’s not clear whether she has been sentenced. Ms. Fu Jinfeng, a former nurse, was arrested on November 1, 2021 and also held at the Nanchang City No. 1 Detention Center. Her current case status isn’t clear.
Past Persecution of Ms. Mei
Since the onset of the persecution, Ms. Mei has been arrested and detained multiple times for upholding her faith. She was held in a brainwashing center for over 50 days and in a detention center three times for a total of over 80 days. Her spine became severely deformed as a result of being tortured in the detention center following her arrest in July 2002. Despite her injuries, she was given one year of forced labor.
Her husband, who worried about her and was traumatized by the persecution, passed away in 2006.
Ms. Mei was arrested again in 2015 and sentenced to three years in the Jiangxi Province Women’s Prison, where she was denied family visits and subjected to brutal torture.
Two years after she was released, the authorities suspended her pension and demanded that she return the funds she’d received during her three-year prison term. The authorities claimed that no Falun Gong practitioners serving time for their faith are entitled to any retirement benefits, although there is no Chinese labor law to that effect.
Related reports:
Two Older Women in Jiangxi Province Hospitalized after Being Detained for Over Six Months