(Minghui.org) A Yanshou County, Heilongjiang Province, woman serving three years for practicing Falun Gong now has to wear diapers after developing medical conditions. Her family suspects that she might have been abused at the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison, which likely resulted in new symptoms on top of her pre-existing high blood pressure and other ailments.
Ms. Zhao Yukun was arrested on April 28, 2021, by officers from the Chengnan Police Station. They targeted her after spotting her talking to people about the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of her faith, Falun Gong, a mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Three officers raided Ms. Zhao’s home and confiscated more than a dozen of her Falun Gong books and some informational materials.
Ms. Zhao, in her 60s, was taken to the Yanshou County Police Department. Captain Xu Chunlei of the Domestic Security Division and others took her to have a physical exam. She had high blood pressure (with a systolic reading of more than 230 when a healthy range is 120 or less), severe heart problems, gallstones, and kidney stones. Ignoring the results, Xu took Ms. Zhao to the Harbin City Detention Center (Harbin oversees Yanshou County). She had to be examined again there and was still deemed to be unfit for detention.
The police released Ms. Zhao on bail after midnight that day.
Several officers from the Chengbei Police Station raided Ms. Zhao’s home at noon on May 24, 2022. They confiscated her music player, DVD player, a cell phone, several sets of Falun Gong books, and 3,000 yuan in banknotes with Falun Gong messages printed on them (as a way to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong given that the communist regime has blocked all legal channels for practitioners to appeal for their right to practice their spiritual faith).
Ms. Zhao was held in the Chengbei Police Station for more than 12 hours before being released early in the morning on May 25, 2022.
The police briefly detained Ms. Zhao on August 14, 2022, before releasing her on bail hours later.
Chengbei Police Station officers arrested Ms. Zhao at home after 11 a.m. on May 12, 2023, and took her to the Harbin City Detention Center. During the mandatory physical exam, her blood pressure was 220, but the police somehow managed to get her admitted.
A local court later tried Ms. Zhao in absentia because she had become incapacitated. She was later sentenced to three years. The exact details of her indictment, trial and sentencing remain to be investigated.
Ms. Zhao was admitted to the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison at an unknown date. She kept crying when her daughter went to visit her. Her entire family is very worried about her wellbeing.
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