(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhang Chuanwen had been denied all forms of family visits since she was admitted to prison in late July 2023 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. Her two sisters went to the prison in late October 2023 and were finally allowed a virtual meeting with her after they condemned the guards for violating the prison law in revoking their sister’s right to family visits.
Ms. Zhang, a 55-year-old Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province resident, was arrested on December 4, 2022 and secretly sentenced to 3.5 years on March 24, 2023. She was admitted to Dabei Prison in Shenyang (the capital city of the province) on July 26, 2023.
In late September 2023, Ms. Zhang’s sisters contacted the prison and requested a visit with her. The prison, however, denied their request, with the excuse that Ms. Zhang had not renounced Falun Gong.
Ms. Zhang’s sisters went to the prison in late October and demanded to see her again. The guard at the front desk told them that Ms. Zhang was held in the Second Ward and then called the ward. Two female guards in their 30s arrived 30 minutes later and claimed to be the directors of the Second Ward. They repeated that they denied Ms. Zhang’s family visitation because she refused to renounce Falun Gong. They cited an internal policy that Falun Gong practitioners must give up their belief before being allowed any family visits.
Ms. Zhang’s sisters refuted their explanation and said that according to prison law, all prisoners are entitled to family visitation, regardless of whether one renounces Falun Gong or not. “We must visit our sister today. You are violating the law in denying the visit. If you don't approve our visit, we will take the issue to the prison warden and the prosecutor-in-residence at the prison,” they said.
Given their strong demand, the guards connected them to a video call with Ms. Zhang. When the sisters asked Ms. Zhang if she was tortured, the guard standing next to her said to her with a threatening tone, “Tell them, has anyone tortured you?”
Ms. Zhang began to cry and said, “Sisters, please don’t ask about any torture.” From her facial expression and trembling voice, her sisters suspected she was facing tremendous pressure in the prison. The call was cut off in 20 minutes.
Prior to Ms. Zhang’s latest sentencing, she has served two labor camp terms and a prison term for upholding her faith in Falun Gong.
Related Reports:
Liaoning Woman Secretly Sentenced to Prison for Her Faith
Prosecution Appeals “Light” Prison Sentences for Falun Gong Practitioners
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