(Minghui.org) A woman in Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province has developed medical problems after being slapped in the face dozens of times by the police following her arrest for practicing Falun Gong.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Ma Fengju is being held at Fushun City Detention Center. According to her family, she is experiencing persistent headaches, discomfort in her heart and high blood pressure. Her family condemns the authorities for holding her in detention for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of belief. They are calling for her immediate release.

Ms. Ma was arrested on September 25, 2019 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong in a residential area by officers from Yaozhan Police Station. Another practitioner, Ms. Liu Yunying, who went with her, was also arrested.

The police ransacked both women’s homes in the evening and sent them to Qingyuan County Domestic Security Division.

Wang Dong, the head of Yaozhan Police Station, attempted to collect Ms. Ma’s fingerprints. She refused to comply. Wang and another officer then slapped her in the face dozens of times.

The officers transferred Ms. Ma and Ms. Liu to Fushun City Detention Center on the next day. During a physical checkup, a third officer also slapped Ms. Ma in the face.