(Minghui.org)

Name: Li YuzhenChinese Name: 李玉珍Gender: FemaleAge: 74City: HarbinProvince: HeilongjiangOccupation: N/ADate of Death: January 2024Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 10, 2021Most Recent Place of Detention: Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison

A Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, resident, died in January 2024 while she was incarcerated for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. She was 74.

Ms. Li Yuzhen went missing on June 10, 2021. Her Falun Gong books and portrait of Falun Gong’s founder were taken from her home. Her family later confirmed that she was arrested by officers from the Lihua Police station and Guo Menghao from the Daowai District Domestic Security Office. More than ten local practitioners were also arrested that day.

Ms. Li was sentenced to four years and fined 10,000 yuan by the Daowai District Court. She was transferred to the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison on January 7, 2022 after her appeal was rejected.

In the prison’s eighth ward, two bunk beds were pushed together along the length of the walls and most of the newly admitted practitioners were made to sleep between two other people who each took up a bunk bed. Those who didn’t have a bed had to sleep in the hallway. Ms. Li had some leg problems but was assigned to sleep in one of the upper bunk beds. However, the inmates claimed that they treated her well.

Inmate Yuan Jingfang, a scammer serving a life sentence, was assigned team leader by the guards, due to her active participation in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.

Ms. Li was taken to a hospital in early January 2024 where she died a week later. It’s not clear whether she developed a terminal disease or died as a result of being tortured in prison.

Past Persecution

Ms. Li began practicing Falun Gong in 1996. One month later, many of her ailments disappeared, including cancer, Hepatitis B, uterine fibroids and heart disease. After the persecution started in 1999, she was arrested multiple times for not giving up Falun Gong and served a three-year prison sentence and a one-year labor camp term.

Ms. Li was first arrested on March 15, 2003 while visiting a local practitioner. The police searched her and took the 1,700 yuan in cash in her pocket. After she was taken to the Dongli Police Station, police chief Yang Shouyi shoved her to the ground, handcuffed her to the heating pipes and split her legs far apart.

Ms. Li was later transferred to the Harbin City Second Detention Center. Guard Han Jinfeng chained her hands and feet together. She was unable to walk and had to crawl on the ground. The chains were not removed for four months. During this time, she was not allowed to change her underwear and was force fed. Most of her teeth were damaged by the mouth opener. She was later sentenced to three years at the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison.

Torture illustration: Hands and feet chained together

Ms. Li was given given one year of forced labor following another arrest in 2007 when she talked to people about the persecution of Falun Gong on the street. She was arrested again in 2013 and given 15 days of administrative detention, also for talking to people about Falun Gong.

30 Known Persecution Deaths by Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison

In order to achieve a high “transformation” rate (percentage of jailed Falun Gong practitioners who are forced to renounce their faith), the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison specifically picks ruthless criminals to persecute practitioners.

These criminals were either made head inmates or team captains in charge of work production or other tasks. They are given free reign in abusing Falun Gong practitioners, and nothing is deemed excessive as long as they can make practitioners renounce their belief. The guards often turn a blind eye when these criminals torture practitioners. To ensure the continued persecution of practitioners, the guards have offered various rewards to these criminals, including special privileges to move about in different cells, term reductions, more food and daily necessities, and more phone calls with their families.

Some criminals were even allowed to mete out rewards and punishments to other non-practitioner inmates without seeking the guards’ permission. The guards’ goal is to increase criminals’ loyalty to them in carrying out the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

As a result of the torture, forced labor, and intensive brainwashing, many practitioners were injured, maimed, or developed various medical conditions. At least 30 practitioners died either in prison or shortly after they were released on medical parole or to finish serving time outside prison.

Below is a list of the 30 practitioners known to have died as a result of being persecuted in Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison.

1. Ms. Bi Yunping died in prison on November 2, 2002, the same day she was injected with toxic substances.

2-3. Ms. Wang Ying and Ms. Guo Meisong both died in prison in 2003 after developing lung infections caused by unsanitary feeding tubes (both women were brutally force-fed).

4. Ms. Qu Jie died in prison in July 2004.

5. Ms. Wang Fang, a 46-year-old tailor, died on September 24, 2004, less than two months after she was released.

6. Ms. Liu Qianqian, 33, died on August 6, 2005, less than two months after she finished serving three years.

7. Ms. Du Jinglan, 55, was tortured to critical condition and taken to a hospital on October 2, 2005. She died three days later in the hospital. Her family found fresh injury marks on her face.

8. Ms. Li Haiyan, 30, was released on medical parole on September 2, 2004, and died on January 13, 2005.

9. Ms. Xiao Shufen, 66, died in prison on June 8, 2006.

10. Ms. Chen Weijun, 49, was released on medical parole on October 7, 2006, and died on June 3, 2007.

11. Ms. Ni Shuzhi, 60, died on January 19, 2008, six months after she served a five-year term.

12. Ms. Jin Chunxian, 60, died on July 31, 2007, less than one year after she was released on medical parole.

13. Ms. Zhang Yaqin, 64, died on November 26, 2010, six months after she was released on medical parole.

14. Ms. Liu Deqing, around 60, died on November 27, 2011, about nine months after she was released on medical parole.

15. Ms. Li Yaru, 49, died in 2011, shortly after she was released on medical parole.

16. Ms. Zhao Bixu, 66, died in prison on January 14, 2012.

17. Ms. Wang Xiuyue, 74, died on July 20, 2012, a few months after she was released on medical parole.

18. Ms. Lou Weiming, 58, died in December 2012, two years after being released on medical parole.

19. Ms. Yang Ruiqin, 71, died on May 24, 2016, five months after being released on parole.

20. Ms. Liu Lingling died in prison in the spring of 2017.

21. Ms. Wang Caiyun, 52, died on February 24, 2018, four months after she served three years in prison.

22. Ms. Zhao Chunyan, 65, died on July 28, 2018, twelve days after she was released from prison.

23. Ms. Liu Xiuqin died on September 14, 2018, two months after she was released on medical parole.

24. Ms. Yang Lihua, 43, died in prison on November 5, 2019.

25. Ms. Wang Fang, a 54-year-old teacher, died on December 31, 2020, two months after she served a two-year term.

26. Ms. Su Yunxia, 67, died on September 4, 2021, two days before her scheduled date of release.

27. Ms. Liu Yaqin, 69, died on October 31, 2021, five months after her prison release.

28. Ms. Teng Shuli, 53, died on January 10, 2023, while serving a 7-year term.

29. Ms. Fei Shuqin, 77, died on February 16, 2023, while serving a 13-year term.

30. Ms. Mou Yongxia, 75, died on July 13, 2023, while serving a 6-year term.