Beijing Woman Sentenced to 3.5 Years, Authorities Attempt to Imprison Her Despite Her Dangerously High Blood Pressure

(Minghui.org) A Xianghe County, Hebei Province resident was sentenced to 3.5 years for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. Ms. Cao Jin’e was allowed to serve time outside of prison, but the police had been making one attempt after another to put her in jail despite her persistent dangerously high blood pressure. 

First Arrest

Ms. Cao, 60, was arrested in June 2021 after being reported for distributing the materials. Due to her high blood pressure, the Taihu Detention Center refused to admit her. The police took her to the hospital for treatment. As her blood pressure remained very high after IV drips, the doctor increased the dose of the drug. Although her blood pressure was indeed brought down, she fainted as soon as she stood up.

When Ms. Cao woke up, she found herself sitting in a wheelchair and wheeled around the hospital by police for various examinations. She urged them not to persecute her, but the officers said they were just following the order from above.

Ms. Cao’s blood pressure returned to the dangerously high level on the next day and she was denied admission to the detention center again. On the way back to the police station, she was deceived by the police into signing her arrest approval notice.

Second Arrest and 3.5-year Prison Sentence

Shortly after Ms. Cao was released, she decided to live away from home to hide from the police. When she returned one and a half months later, the police came and arrested her. They said that they were about to put her on the wanted list if she still hadn’t come back. 

Ms. Cao signed her case deposition and was released. She was summoned to the Tongzhou District Procuratorate twice after that. The prosecutor said they would give her a lighter sentence if she pled guilty. She refused to comply and was later sentenced to 3.5 years. Due to her poor health, she was allowed to serve time outside of prison.

Third Arrest

Ms. Cao was taken back into custody months later when the police found out that she went to the nearby city Langfang. They took her to the hospital and ordered a doctor to give her blood pressure pills, which only brought her blood pressure down for a day. When she was taken to the detention center, her blood pressure was even higher than before and she was denied admission again. 

After taking her home, four officers took turns monitoring her around the clock for two months. 

Fourth Arrest

Ms. Cao was notified by the court on February 19, 2023 to come over in five days to answer some questions. She refused to comply. Four armed officers showed up at her home in mid-March and forcibly took her to the Taihu Detention Center. While the officers were having lunch, Ms. Cao fainted due to the high blood pressure. She was denied admission to the detention center the fourth time and taken back home. 

Officer Li Junqiang called on April 27, demanding to take her photos. He also asked her to prepare some clothes to serve time in prison. While Ms. Cao is still at home on residential surveillance at the time of writing, she worries the police may come at any time and take her to the prison.

Previous Persecution

Ms. Cao took up Falun Gong in 1998. Her severe intestinal fluid accumulation soon disappeared. When the persecution started a year later, she was repeatedly arrested and detained in brainwashing centers and detention centers. She was given one year in forced labor camp in October 2007, but was also denied admission due to her high blood pressure.

Perpetrators’ information:

Zhao Zhiyi (赵智一), judge of Tongzhou District Court: [phone], [phone]Li Junqiang (李俊强), officer of Huo County Police Station: [phone]