70-Year-Old Hebei Man Denied Phone Calls For Nine Months and Family Visits For More Than Two Years

(Minghui.org) Mr. Chen Shuyi, 70, was not allowed the first phone call with his family until nine months after he was admitted to prison to serve a four-year term for practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. It would be another one and a half years before he was finally allowed to see his family in person for the first time.

Mr. Chen, a Laishui County, Hebei Province resident who has a disability in one leg, was arrested at home on May 25, 2020 and secretly sentenced to four years in early March 2021. His family didn’t learn of his conviction until late March 2021, when they received a prison admission notice in the mail saying that he was admitted to Ward One of the No. 4 Prison of the Jidong Branch of the Hebei Province Prison Administration Bureau (“Jidong No. 4 Prison” for short) on March 16, 2021.

The Jidong Branch of the Hebei Province Prison Administration Bureau has eight prisons and they are all located in Tangshan City, Hebei Province.

Mr. Chen’s loved ones did not get to talk to him on the phone until December 27, 2021, and did not see him until June 14, 2023. The prison authorities told Mr. Chen’s family in early 2023 that he was suffering from some illnesses, but they have not responded to his medical parole request. He is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2024.

Prison Authorities Deny Family Visits and Withhold Information of Mr. Chen’s Whereabouts

Mr. Chen’s family called the Jidong Branch’s Command Center ([phone]) upon receiving his prison admission notice in late March 2021 and were told that they were not allowed to visit him or deliver clothes for him. The command center staffer stopped answering the family’s calls for a few weeks, and when they finally picked up the phone again, they said Mr. Chen was no longer at the Jidong No. 4 Prison.

The family then called the Jidong Branch’s Prison Affairs Division ([phone]), told them Mr. Chen’s ID number and asked them to check where he was. The family was then told that Mr. Chen was held in the Jidong No. 4 Prison for only one month and was transferred to the Jidong No. 1 Prison ([phone]).

Mr. Chen’s family was never notified of his prison transfer. They called the Jidong No. 1 Prison, but the guards never directly answered when they asked if he was there. They eventually stopped answering his family’s calls. His loved ones wrote to the prison, asking to have Mr. Chen call home. They did not receive a response.

First Phone Call in 9 Months

Mr. Chen’s family called the Jidong No. 1 Prison’s Command Center ([phone]) on December 27, 2021 and were transferred to the prison affairs section ([phone]). A guard surnamed Zhang answered the phone. He initially refused to confirm that Mr. Chen was there, and claimed that their Internet was down. Mr. Chen’s family urged him to check as they just wanted to know how he was doing.

Zhang then checked and confirmed that Mr. Chen was held in Ward Ten of the Jidong No. 1 Prison. Mr. Chen’s family then called Ward Ten ([phone]) and a guard surnamed Yan picked up the phone. He assured Mr. Chen’s family that he was there.

Mr. Chen’s family requested an immediate phone call with him, and Yan asked them to wait. The family complained that they had not been allowed to see or call him even once since he was admitted to prison. Yan said that was because Mr. Chen didn’t remember his family’s phone numbers. His loved ones demanded to talk to him as soon as possible, and Yan finally agreed to a phone call at 8 p.m. that night.

After more than nine months since his prison admission, Mr. Chen’s family finally heard his voice at 8 p.m. on December 27, 2021. They asked if he was forced to do hard labor and he said he had to make clothes. As soon as he said that, the guards hung up the phone.

First In-person Visit in 2+ Years Since Prison Admission

Mr. Chen’s family called Ward Ten in early 2023 to inquire about his health. They were told he was on sick leave. They pressed for more details but were only told that Mr. Chen was sick and no longer needed to do hard labor. They repeatedly called but were not able to find out what illness Mr. Chen had.

His family called again on May 18, 2023 and requested that he be released on medical parole. The prison claimed that they had no say and Mr. Chen’s family urged them to report his situation to higher-ups as soon as possible. The family again requested in-person visits but they were denied. They kept calling and were finally granted one when they called again on May 23.

Mr. Chen’s family drove about 250 miles from Laishui County to Tangshan City and arrived at the prison at 3 a.m. on June 14, 2023. The prion initially only allowed three people to go in but finally let in four family members upon their strong request.

Mr. Chen’s loved ones saw that he had to be supported by two guards when he walked into the meeting room. He asked his family not worry about him. The guards said he had some issues with his legs and was recuperating in the prison hospital. They added that they had long stopped forcing him to do hard labor.

No Response to Request for Medical Parole

Mr. Chen’s son filed a formal medical parole request with the prison and the prison administration bureau, but has not received a response at the time of this report.

In his request, he wrote about how Falun Gong helped his father walk again:

“My father Chen Shuyi is 70 years old and lives in Dongwangzhuang Village, Wangcun Town, Laishui County, Hebei Province. He is a simple and kind-hearted man.

Years ago, my father fell into a deep pit and injured the central nerve in his lower back. After more than three hours of surgery, he had a metal plate put in his body. Still, he was almost completely paralyzed in his lower body and remained bedridden for years. My sister and I were young then, yet we learned to take care of him.

After my father took up Falun Gong, he was able to get out of bed and even rode a tricycle. He still has a leg disability, but he regained the ability to take care of himself. Falun Gong changed his life, yet he is being jailed for practicing his faith. I urge you to release him on parole as soon as possible!”

Related reports:

68-year-old Disabled Man Secretly Sentenced to Four Years in Prison, Denied Family Visits

Pregnant Mother in Dire Situation Due to Persecution of Her Father-in-Law

67-year-old Man Sentenced to Four Years for Practicing Falun Gong

66-year-old Man Arrested for His Faith and Family Harassed

Mr. Chen Shuyi Arrested and Home Ransacked

Practitioner Chen Shuyi from Laishui County Tortured in Gaoyang Forced Labor Camp