(Minghui.org) A 63-year-old woman serving time for her faith has been denied family visits since she was admitted to Hunan Province Women’s Prison nine months ago. According to insiders, Ms. Zou Wenyu has become incapacitated. Her family is calling for the public to pay attention to her plight.
The Pingjiang County resident was arrested on November 4, 2015, and sentenced to 3 years in prison in August 2016 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
This is not the first time that Ms. Zou has been targeted for her faith. She became disabled and lost her eyesight as a result of torture in Baimalong Forced Labor Camp between October 2000 and March 2002.
She regained limited mobility in her legs over the years, but her eyesight never recovered. Her latest arrest took a toll on her already frail health. She began to experience sharp pain in her legs and back. Her ears also rang from time to time. Her family paid her cellmates a monthly stipend to take care of her.
Yunxi District Detention Center issued a notice on June 21, 2016, saying that she was not fit to remain in detention. The police, the court, and the procuratorate, however, refused to grant her medical parole. They proceeded to try her and sentence her to prison. Her appeal was turned down by Yueyang City Intermediate Court.
The detention center informed Ms. Zou’s husband on October 18, 2016, that she had stopped eating for two days because she felt nauseated and had no appetite. Her husband immediately filed a medical parole request with the intermediate court, but the latter referred him back to the detention center, saying it had already closed her appeal case.
The detention center told him that they had no authority to issue a medical parole. They transferred Ms. Zou to prison on December 13, 2016.
The prison authorities informed Ms. Zou’s family that they must wait at least 45 days before making any request to see her.
Her loved ones went to the prison two months later but were not allowed to visit her. One guard said, “We have [Falun Gong practitioners] who haven’t been allowed to see their families for two years. Whenever [Ms. Zou] decides to renounce Falun Gong, we’ll let you know to come see her.”
Ms. Zou’s family is extremely concerned about her wellbeing. They requested medical parole for her again but are still waiting for a response from the authorities.
Related Reports:
Practitioners Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison
Ms. Zou Wenyu Goes Blind after being Injected with Unknown Drugs at the Baimalong Forced Labor Camp
The Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in Pingjiang County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province
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