(Minghui.org) A married couple in Nanyang City, Henan Province was recently sentenced and fined for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. He Ximei, 70, was sentenced to 9 years and fined 30,000 yuan. Her husband, Mr. Tie Linfeng, was given 4 years and fined 10,000 yuan.
The couple was targeted in a mass arrest of over 160 practitioners in late August 2019. The authorities have been monitoring the practitioners since April 2019 and ramped up the harassment in July before executing the arrests.
Another 12 practitioners were also sentenced in March 2021 by the same Wancheng District Court, to 2-8 years.
Past Persecution
Ms. He, a former business manager at Nanyang City Marsh Gas Utility Company, took up Falun Gong in 1997. Many of her ailments, including a neck problem, a stomach issue, and low blood pressure, were soon healed. With good health, she did a better job at work and won many awards.
Arrests and Extortion
In March 2000, nine months after the communist regime ordered the persecution, Ms. He was arrested while having a gathering with local practitioners. The dozens of yuan of cash she had were confiscated. The police kept the more than 20 practitioners at the Domestic Security Division and interrogated them for three days, without allowing them to sleep. Ms. He was extorted 1,000 yuan and released.
Only a few days later, the police arrested Ms. He again and held her at the Nanyang City No.2 Detention Center for three weeks. She was released after being extorted 2,000 yuan.
Beaten During Detention
Ms. He, Mr. Du Xu and Ms. Gao Yuqing were arrested on November 28, 2000. The police beat Ms. He’s head and slapped her in the face. When their hands got tired, they found a bamboo stick to hit her hand and kicked her. Her face was disfigured and the back of her hand was bleeding. Both Ms. He and Ms. Gao were detained for a month at Nanyang City No.2 Detention Center and extorted 600 yuan by the police each.
For Mr. Du, he fell into a coma from the beating and was hospitalized after his arrest. He died at around 5: 30 a.m. on January 10, 2001. To cover up the persecution, the police lied that he injured himself by jumping off a building.
Two Years of Labor Camp Term
As soon as she was released, Ms. He went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong in December 2000, only to be arrested and transferred to the Anshan City No.1 Detention Center in Liaoning Province on December 31. There, she was locked in a chair, handcuffed behind her back and force-fed. Her esophagus was pierced by the feeding tube and she vomited a lot of blood.
When the police took Ms. He back and sent her to the Nanyang City No.2 Detention Center, they extorted 5,000 yuan from her family. Three months later, she was given two years of forced labor and taken to the Shibalihe Forced Labor Camp on April 6, 2001.
While she served time in the labor camp, her workplace suspended her salary. For the 5,000 yuan extortion, the authorities deducted it from one of her sons’ salaries. The persecution caused tremendous mental pressure on her two sons. Her older son soon developed lumbar disc herniation and her younger son often woke up from nightmares and was soaked with cold sweat.
Husband’s Arrest
Ms. He and Mr. Tie were stopped by the police at the train station in Zhengzhou City on October 19, 2004, after coming back from a trip visiting their older son. After finding Falun Gong books and lecture tapes in Mr. Tie’s bag, the police arrested him, took him back to Nanyang, and detained him at the Nanyang City No.1 Detention Center for 18 days. The school he worked at was extorted 2,000 yuan by the police and were forced to turn in his computer.
Prison Sentences
The couple was arrested again on August 17, 2006, at their older son’s home in Zhengzhou City. The police covered Ms. He’s head and mouth and pushed her into the police car. Upon arriving at the police station, they carried her to the second floor and handcuffed her in a chair overnight. Her body twitched and she was unable to lift her legs as a result of the torture.
Ms. He was later sentenced to one year at Xinxiang Women’s Prison and Mr. Tie to three years in Xinmi City Prison.
Shortly after Ms. He was released, she was arrested one more time in mid-January 2008 after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. She escaped from the police station and was put on the wanted list. After two years of hiding, she was arrested in July 2010 and sentenced again to the Xinxiang Women’s Prison.
Related reports:
Nanyang City, Henan Province: 14 Practitioners Targeted in Mass Arrest Sentenced to 2-9 Years
Nanyang City, Henan Province: 32 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Two Days
Business Manager's Nightmare of Persecution for Her Belief in Falun Gong
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