74-year-old Woman's Health Suffering After Nearly 16 Months of Detention for Her Faith

(Minghui.org) Because Ms. Chen Yuanhua refused to renounce Falun Gong, she has been denied family visitation since she was arrested on January 8, 2022. Due to the torture in custody, the 74-year-old woman is suffering some severe medical conditions and has to lean against the wall while walking. 

Ms. Chen, of Tianjin, was arrested by over ten officers while walking on the street on January 8, 2022. At least another ten local practitioners were arrested on the same day. The police accused Ms. Chen of distributing informational materials about Falun Gong and kept her at the Ninghe District Detention Center. 

Ms. Chen’s husband, who is nearly 80 and incapacitated, had been relying on her for care. Her detention dealt him a hard blow and his condition has been deteriorating. The doctor said his life could be in danger at any time.

Similar to Ms. Chen and her husband’s ordeal, another practitioner who was arrested on the same day, Ms. Han Shuyun, 70, has been secretly sentenced to five years in prison. Her husband was also incapacitated and is having a hard time coping with the mental agony from her imprisonment.

Past Persecution

After Ms. Chen took up Falun Gong in 1998, many of the ailments she had, including severe heart condition and insomnia, disappeared.

In the past 24 years of persecution, she spent nearly half of the time in detention or displacement. She served a labor camp term of 2.5 years and two prison terms for a total of 7 years. 

Detained for Appealing for Falun Gong

Ms. Chen went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong on October 26, 1999 and was arrested. The police kicked her, pulled her hair, hit her head with the book Zhuan Falun confiscated from other practitioners, and shocked her with electric batons. She was later transferred back to Tianjin and held at the Ninghe County Detention Center for a month, followed by another month at the town brainwashing center. The township government extorted 10,000 yuan from her family. 

Ms. Chen was arrested again and detained for a month in 2000 during the Communist Party’s annual political meeting.

Over ten officers descended on Ms. Chen’s home in 2001 and asked her if she was still practicing Falun Gong. She said yes. The officers arrested her, held her at the town government for seven days and then took her to the brainwashing center.

2.5-year Labor Camp Term

Because Ms. Chen refused to renounce Falun Gong at the brainwashing center, she was taken to the Banqiao Women’s Forced Labor Camp on January 21, 2001 to serve a 2.5-year term. She wasn’t allowed to talk to others and was denied family visitation. Instigated by the guards, the inmates often verbally abused her and beat her.

Sentenced to Three Years for Distributing Falun Gong Materials

Ms. Chen was arrested again on June 3, 2006 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. Her home was ransacked. She held a hunger strike to protest the persecution and was force-fed. The police also pinched her calves until they were bruised.

Ms. Chen was sentenced to three years at the Tianjin Women’s Prison by the Ninghe County Court on November 7, 2006. She was often beaten and forced to stand without moving every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Another Four-year Prison Term

Also for distributing Falun Gong materials, Ms. Chen was arrested on August 26, 2015. She experienced high blood pressure (190/100 mmHg) and severe chest pain due to the torture in custody. The police also force-fed her, which almost killed her. 

Ms. Chen stood trial at the Ninghe District Court on January 26, 2016 and was later sentenced to four years. She appealed with the Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold her original verdict. She was taken to the Tianjin Women’s Prison on July 7, 2016.