(Minghui.org) When Ms. Chen Cuizhu appeared in court on May 4, 2023 after eight months of detention for her faith in Falun Gong, her loved ones were shocked to see that the once healthy and energetic woman has become extremely emaciated and weak.

Despite her poor health, the bailiff still cuffed her hands and feet and chained the cuffs together. As a result, she couldn’t straighten her back and had to bend over throughout the hearing.

Ms. Chen, of Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, was arrested on September 8, 2022, while studying Falun Gong’s teachings with 14 other practitioners. She urged the police not to persecute Falun Gong. She also told them how her advanced bowel cancer disappeared after taking up the practice. The police confirmed it after examining her medical records. However, they still detained her at the Zhanjiang City Detention Center and submitted her case to the Chikan District Procuratorate.

While in custody, Ms. Chen’s health quickly deteriorated due to the poor living conditions, physical torture and mental distress. Her skin began to fester and she felt extremely uncomfortable. The guards sent her to a hospital for a checkup. She was found to have cancer, which had metastasized. The hospital doctor recommended immediate inpatient care or her life would be in danger. The detention center refused to release her on bail for treatment, with the excuse that she didn’t renounce her faith.

The Chikan District Court initially scheduled a hearing for April 24, but later postponed it to May 4.

Prior to her latest ordeal, Ms. Chen was previously arrested on December 18, 2000 for making Falun Gong informational materials in Guangxi Autonomous Region. She was sentenced to four years in April 2003 and served time in Nanning City Forced Labor Camp in Guangxi.