(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhao Fenglian suffered brutal persecution in the Lanzhou Women's Prison in Gansu Province. Ms. Zhao passed away on December 22, 2005.

Because of torture, Zhao Fenglian was unable to eat for over four months before her death. The jail wardens nearly killed her during force-feeding of concentrated salt water, causing her to fall into unconsciousness. Afraid to bear responsibility for Zhao's death, the wardens sent her to the hospital. She was diagnosed with malignant pancreatic cancer there. The prison authorities released Zhao Fenglian on bail to seek medical care. When Zhao's relatives came to take her home, the wardens noticed that Zhao's health had slightly improved. The authorities then rescinded Zhao's conditional release and told her relatives, "Come back again in a few days! You should bring an ash urn." More persecution followed, and it rendered Zhao truly unable to recover. Only then did the prison authorities release Zhao.

Ms. Zhao Fenglian

Bruises on Ms. Zhao's back

Bruises on Ms. Zhao's chest

Bruises on Ms. Zhao's legs

Ms. Zhao in the Jinchuan Company Staff Hospital

Zhao was in good health before the persecution. When we visited her in the hospital, Zhao was so emaciated that her face had turned into a triangular shape. Her skin was a sickly yellow color. She was put in room 8 on the third floor in the Jinchuan Company Staff Hospital in Jinchang City.

We asked, "How are you? How long have you been unable to eat?" "Over four months," she replied, "I was severely injured by the force-feeding with salt water." "How did you get bruised there?" we continued. "It was burned by a hot-water bottle. I had felt very cold all over my body, so I held a hot-water bottle too tightly. I could not feel my skin, and it blistered." We then inquired if she remembered her persecutors. "I remember them," she whispered and then stopped talking. She clasped the hand of a fellow practitioner and murmured in a low voice, "It has not been easy, not been easy!"

Based on our observation, the bruises on Ms. Zhao's chest and back were most likely from beatings with electric batons. The black dots on her legs seem to be coming out from under the skin, possibly due to some sort of toxin injected into her.

When relatives took Zhao Fenglian home from the Lanzhou Prison, the guards forced them to sign several release guarantees. Guards also threatened Ms. Zhao's relatives to remain silent about her persecution.

Zhao Fenglian told us that a 70-year-old fellow practitioner was illegally imprisoned in the Gansu Provincial Women's Prison. This practitioner developed calcium deposits in one of her internal organs, so the prison had to send her to a hospital for treatment. After the surgery, however, she was immediately sent back to the Gansu Provincial Women's Prison for more persecution.

Ms. Zhao in the Jinchuan Company Staff Hospital

One time, a fellow practitioner whispered to Ms. Zhao, "Falun Dafa is good". Zhao Fenglian became very frightened and stopped the practitioner. She said, "Don't let the guard hear!" It was obvious that she had been traumatized by the violent persecution at the prison.