(Minghui.org) Ms. Li Yuanmei was confused, had memory loss, and could not recognize her family when she was released from Jilin Women's Prison on January 29, 2016.
The 62-year-old woman was sentenced to three years in 2013 for refusing to give up her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Five days before her homecoming, prison officials called Ms. Li's husband and asked for his permission to treat her psychosis-like symptoms, because she was overexcited about her upcoming release.
Her husband misinterpreted the call as a kind gesture, and, without asking for more details, he faxed the prison a signed medication agreement. Unbeknown to him, his consent opened a floodgate, and his wife was drugged into a totally different person by the time he picked her up.
Although her health is now improving, Ms. Li is still weak, her limbs are swollen, and she still does not recognize her family. All she remembers is that she was given some pills to take in prison. Recalling the phone call, her husband suspects that she probably was drugged before her release.
When the Chinese Communist Party launched the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, Ms. Li wrote a letter to the government enumerating the benefits of practicing Falun Gong. She was arrested and detained for one week.
In 2000, she was arrested on her way to pick up copies of the Falun Gong teachings and detained in Jian Detention Center for 15 days.
On December 26, 2001, Ms. Li and her older brother were arrested for distributing Falun Gong materials. She was later transferred to Heizuizi Forced Labor Camp in Changchun on January 25, 2002. She was so brutally tortured that she became mentally disordered within a month and then non-responsive. The camp released her at that point.
She was treated at Haudian Township Hospital and regained consciousness three months later. She recovered soon after she was able to practice Falun Gong again.
Ms. Li's latest arrest came on August 11, 2013, one day after she distributed Falun Gong materials and was reported by a villager. She was incarcerated in Jian Detention Center even though she was vomiting. The local authorities put her on trial on October 15 without notifying her family. When her family heard about it, they rushed over to the courthouse in time, but were not allowed inside. She was sentenced to three years and taken to Jilin Women's Prison on December 4.
Ms. Li's husband is certified as having a secondary disability, which requires assistance in daily living. When Ms. Li was arrested in 2013, he lost her support and life became very difficult. He fell into depression and often thought of ending his own life.
Ms. Li's daughter was in middle school when her mother was last arrested. She was terrified by Ms. Li's repeated arrests and the harassment she endured. She suffered a nervous breakdown at the age of 17 and was hospitalized several times.
Ms. Li's mother was 91 years old then. She fell ill due to the worry and anxiety. She was bedridden and unable to take care of herself.