(Minghui.org) After serving three years for her faith in Falun Gong, Ms. Zhang Guixiang walked out of the Jilin Province Women’s Prison at 8:30 a.m. on October 19, 2023, only to be met with a group of officers.
The police ordered the Changchun City, Jilin Province resident to go with them to the local 610 Office to have her pictures taken and sign some paperwork. Ms. Zhang, around 60, refused to comply, as no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. She should never have been jailed for her faith in the first place, much less be subjected to further prosecution after she was released.
The police seized Ms. Zhang, as well as her daughter, Ms. Yu Dan, and two friends, Ms. Xiao Weiwei and Ms. Zhuang Mingxia, who had all gone to the prison to pick her up. The women learned later that the arresting officers were from the Chuncheng Boulevard Police Station.
Ms. Xiao and Ms. Zhuang are also practitioners of Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Zhuang’s husband was unable to open the door that night when he returned home. He then noted that the door handle was damaged and that the lock had been changed. Having had his home raided by the police before due to his wife’s faith in Falun Gong, he suspected that the police had come again. He and his son went to the Chuncheng Boulevard Police Station on October 20, but the police there denied having raided their home.
According to her neighbors, Ms. Xiao’s home was also raided on October 19 after she was arrested outside the prison. There were officers lying in wait outside her home after the raid.
An insider later revealed that the Chuncheng Boulevard Police Station had turned over Ms. Zhuang and Ms. Xiao to the Baiju Road Police Station. It is unclear where they, Ms. Zhang and her daughter are being detained.
Recap of Ms. Zhang’s Prison Sentence
Ms. Zhang’s prison sentence stemmed from her arrest on October 20, 2020. The Chaoyang District Court held a hearing of her case on July 20, 2021 without notifying her family or lawyer.
Her loved ones had met with the presiding judge the day before the hearing, but was not told about her trial. They had a meeting with the judge again on August 5, 2021 and were still not given any updates. Her lawyer found out about the hearing on August 26, 2021 when he was finally allowed to visit her. Prior to that, her family had called the judge and his assistants several times to inquire about her case status. They either refused to answer the call or evaded the family's questions.
Her family learned on September 29, 2021 that she has been sentenced to three years. The judge refused to provide a copy of the verdict to them, claiming that there was no such legal requirement. He claimed that even Ms. Zhang’s own children didn’t have the right to appeal the verdict on her behalf.
Prior to her latest prison sentence, Ms. Zhang served two forced labor terms totaling three years. Her employer, the Changchun Automobile Import and Export Company, terminated her because of her faith in Falun Gong.
Related reports:
Jilin Woman Secretly Tried and Sentenced for Her Faith
Jilin Judge Bars Out-of-Town Lawyer from Representing Local Falun Gong Practitioner
After Two Labor Camp Terms and Constant Harassment, Jilin Woman Arrested Again for Her Faith
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