(Minghui.org) A 74-year-old resident of Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, is still illegally detained after being violently arrested eight months ago. Ms. Huo Guilan was illegally arrested because she practices Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Huo developed serious medical conditions while in custody, but she was denied bail. After previously serving a five-year prison term for practicing Falun Gong, she now faces another trial.
Violent Arrest
Four young officers from the Chencang District Police Department broke into Ms. Huo’s fourth-floor apartment on the night of April 11, 2024 and dragged her down the stairs to the first floor, bumping her body repeatedly against the concrete steps. Her entire body was covered in bruises. One of her ankles was severely injured and swollen. She had difficulty walking afterwards and limped in pain. The bruises did not subside for more than three months.
The police did not allow Ms. Huo to change her clothing or shoes. They shoved her into their cruiser and drove her to the Baoji City Second Detention Center. She developed serious conditions, including dizziness, back pain, vaginal bleeding, chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. Her hearing and eyesight kept deteriorating. Her family applied for bail, but their request was rejected.
Facing Trial
Officers Li Shangyu (+86-13992773858) and Yang Zhenying (+86-13636768992) from the Chencang District Police Department submitted the case to prosecutors Zheng Shuhan and Guo Bin of the Chencang District Procuratorate, who in turn submitted it to prosecutor Sa Xiaoning (+86-18628609765) of the Jintai District Procuratorate.
Sa told Ms. Huo’s family that the Baojin City Intermediate Court made the decision to have the Jintai District handle the case. He indicted her at an unknown date and then forwarded the case to the Jintai District Court. Ms. Huo’s family hired a lawyer to enter a not-guilty plea for her.
Past Persecution
Ms. Huo took up Falun Gong in 1999 and soon recovered from her numerous diseases, including cervical spondylosis, bone hyperplasia, tracheitis, laryngitis, habitual colds, gynecological disease, lumbar muscle strain, leg pain, stomach problems, and gastroenteritis. After the persecution began, she was previously twice given forced labor and once sentenced to five years in prison.
She went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in April 2000 and was arrested. After being escorted back to Shaanxi Province, she was detained for 15 days and faced ongoing harassment and surveillance after she was released. The police arrested her again in June 2000 and gave her one year of forced labor.
She was sent to the Shaanxi Province Women’s Labor Camp in August 2000 where she was brutally tortured. Once a team lead slapped her in the face for two straight hours, causing her to suffer severe nose-bleeding. The splattered blood stained her clothes, bedding, walls, and the floor. The next day, the team lead ordered an inmate to scrape the bloodstain off the walls.
Ms. Huo was later released ahead of time, only to be arrested again in April 2001 and given two mores years of forced labor. Not long after she was admitted to the same labor camp in July 2001, she managed to escape but was captured about a month later.
Instead of having her finish her labor camp term, the authorities sentenced her to five years around April 2002. She served time at the Shaanxi Province Women’s Prison and suffered horrendous torture. A guard once instructed an inmate to kick her chest so hard that it became extremely swollen, and she had difficulty breathing. She was also repeatedly held in solitary confinement, the longest time was four months. Another time she was stripped naked and severely beaten. Her bruises did not subside until more than three months later.
On her scheduled prison release day, September 26, 2006, the police took her straight to a brainwashing center and held her there for four months.
After another arrest in May 2013, Ms. Huo was detained for three months and extorted 10,000 yuan by the police.
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