(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhang Lixin survived a stroke while serving time for practicing Falun Gong, but she remains unconscious most of the time and now suffers from muscle atrophy after being bedridden for nearly a year. The authorities nonetheless still refused to release her on medical parole.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Zhang, a 68-year-old former employee of a heating company, and her husband, Mr. Bai Yufu, a former security director, were arrested in Zhangwu County, Liaoning Province on December 2, 2019, where they had been hiding to avoid being arrested by the police in their hometown, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province.
Both were tried by the Zhangwu County Court via a video conference on March 5, 2021. The judge sentenced Mr. Bai to six years in prison and Ms. Zhang to four years on March 23.
Ms. Zhang appealed the verdict, but the appeal was rejected. Ms. Zhang suffered a stroke in June, just when the Fuxin Detention Center was about to take her to the Liaoning Province Women’s Prison. Although she survived, she has been unable to move, relies on a feeding tube, and remains unconscious most of the time. After being bedridden for nearly a year, she began to suffer muscle atrophy. The detention center rejected her medical parole, with the excuse that she had awakened twice and still appeared to have a clear mind.
The detention center authorities made two attempts to take her to the prison. Although the prison refused to accept her, they kept her case documents and refused to return them to the detention center. The detention center also used that as an excuse to reject her medical parole.
Her family is very worried about her and they are calling on the international community to pay attention to her case.
Perpetrators’ contact information:
Jia Fujun (贾福军), head of Liaoning Province Women’s Prison: +86-24-31236001, +86-15698808121Xu Min (徐敏), the prison’s political instructor: +86-24-31236002, +86-15698806633Yang Xiuming (杨秀明), president of the prison hospital
(More perpetrators’ contact information is available in the original Chinese article.)
Heilongjiang Woman in the Hospital after Suffering a Stroke in Detention Center
Heilongjiang Couple Sentenced to Prison for Their Faith
Heilongjiang Couple Stand Trial for Their Faith in Falun Gong
119 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Two Heilongjiang Province Cities in One Day