(Minghui.org) Ms. Li Fenglan, a 64-year-old woman in Baiyin City, Gansu Province, was arrested in August 2016 for posting information about Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
Ever since her first arrest, the local police, procuratorate, and the court had been trying to send her to jail. They took her back into custody on more than one occasion, only to release her on bail repeatedly due to her persistent high blood pressure.
When Ms. Li was summoned to the court again on February 22, 2019, she was seized and has since remained captive despite her hypertension. She was transferred to Jiuzhou Women's Prison on April 15. It is unclear what prison sentence she had been given.
Initial Arrest and Bail
Ms. Li was first arrested in August 2016 for putting up self-adhesive posters bearing messages about Falun Gong. She urged Yu Ming, head of Domestic Security Division in Changzheng Police Department, not to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Yu scoffed, “I am not afraid of facing consequences for arresting you since I am from hell anyway.” He took Ms. Li to Baiyin Detention Center, which declined to take her due to her high blood pressure. She was released on bail.
A staff member of Pingchuan District Procuratorate contacted Ms. Li in November 2016 when she was visiting her daughter in Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu Province. She was asked to report to the Procuratorate at 10 a.m. the following day.
Ms. Li complied. While in the procuratorate, she was asked to sign a police-prepared document so as to close her case. She signed, only to be asked to defame Falun Gong on television and to provide information on other practitioners before her case could be closed. Ms. Li refused and was given bail again after her family was forced to pay 5,000 yuan.
The police kept a close watch on Ms. Li after she returned home. When they told her they'd prosecute her soon, she left home in March 2017 to avoid being taken back into custody.
Taken Back into Custody and Tried for Her Faith
Police arrested Ms. Li from her daughter's place on March 30, 2018 and took her back to Baiyin City. Her arrest was soon reported by Minghui.org.
Wang Chaobiao, an officer of Domestic Security Division at Changzheng Police Department, asked who provided his contact information to Minghui. After Ms. Li refused to answer, he took her to Baiyin Hospital to have her go through a physical examination. She was found to have unusually high blood pressure. Still, Wang proceeded to take her to Baiyin Detention Center.
Ms. Li's blood pressure still registered high at the detention center, which firmly refused to take her. Wang and his supervisor had no choice but to let her go home after asking her husband to pay 2,000 yuan.
Ms. Li was ordered to appear in court several days later. Only Ms. Li and her husband were allowed inside the courtroom. Her husband's brother tried to attend the trial but he was threatened by judge Wan Ming.
Ms. Li defended herself, citing freedom of belief. The judge announced on April 24, 2018 to keep her released on bail before further prosecution.
Eventual Incarceration
Officer Wang called Ms. Li to the police department in July 2018 and sent her straight to Baiyin Detention Center. Her blood pressure remained very high and Wang again had to let her go home.
Ms. Li had a second hearing and was ordered to pay 2,000 yuan before being released. In the days that followed, she was asked to go to different hospitals to have her blood pressure taken. The readings remained high.
Officer Wang and judge Wan did not give up persecuting her. They stopped her pension in September 2018 and threatened her on November 30, saying she should get ready for detention. Her family hired an attorney and had her take another physical examination. Her blood pressure was still high.
Ms. Li was notified on February 19, 2019 to go to court to sign some documents. Right after she and her husband arrived in court on February 22, judge Wan ordered bailiffs to detain her. Officer Wang was on hand to take her to Baiyin Detention Center. She was transferred to Jiuzhou Women's Prison on April 15.
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