(Minghui.org) A month after Ms. Chen Shuling’s court hearing for her faith in Falun Gong, her mother-in-law in her 80s, who had been relying on her for care, passed away in distress.
Ms. Chen, of Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, was arrested on April 20, 2023, together with two other practitioners, Ms. Shi Yujie and Ms. Dong Haiyan. An officer hit Ms. Chen in the head hard following her arrest and she still suffered headaches months later. She also revealed that the detention center guards attempted to draw her blood on many occasions, but she firmly refused each time.
The three practitioners stood trial in the Qiaoxi District Court on September 5, 2023. They all appeared to be weak and emaciated, with Ms. Shi being especially weak. Her face was pale and she kept her eyes closed during most of the session, only struggling to open her eyes when answering the judge’s questions.
Ms. Chen’s mother-in-law, who lived with her family, was terrified and devastated by her arrest. The elderly woman fell ill and became incapacitated shortly after.
Ms. Chen’s husband reached out to the police many times, demanding her release so that she could care for his mother and their two children. Due to his efforts in rescuing her, he was unable to continue doing his part-time job, which further added financial distress to the family.
Ms. Chen’s husband called the judge after her court hearing, still demanding her release. By then, his mother had already become gravely ill and her last wish was to see Ms. Chen for the final time and she be re-united with the family. Yet the judge still denied her husband’s request. Facing mounting pressure, he burst into tears and almost collapsed.
With no hope to see Ms. Chen being released soon, her mother-in-law’s health kept declining and she passed away on October 10, 11 days after the Mid-autumn Festival, a traditional holiday for family reunions.
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