(Minghui.org) A 75-year-old resident of Tahe County, Heilongjiang Province, has faced non-stop harassment after she was released from a brief detention on March 17, 2023 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
The authorities’ harassment aimed to force Ms. Zhang Xiuchun to renounce her faith in Falun Gong. It began on the night of her bail release and continued after she was sentenced to one year, between October 2023 and February 2024 (exact time unknown). She was ordered to serve time outside of prison.
Continued Monitoring and Harassment After Sentencing
While serving time outside of prison, Ms. Zhang was forced to write a monthly report which slandered Falun Gong. Court workers visited her once every week to photograph her. The local street committee members ordered her to attend various activities and have her photo taken. She was instructed to say or write things which slandered Falun Gong at those activities.
A fellow practitioner reported the persecution of Ms. Zhang to the Minghui website. Captain Zhou Wei, instructor Ma Chao and officer Han Degang from the Tahe County Police Department recently broke into Ms. Zhang’s home and demanded to know who disclosed their names to Minghui.org. They raided her home and confiscated three Falun Gong books.
Having witnessed how Falun Gong cured her gastroptosis (abnormal downward displacement of the stomach) and atrophic gastritis, Ms. Zhang’s husband was very supportive of her practice. The non-stop harassment before and after her sentencing, however, drove a wedge between the couple. To avoid being implicated and to prevent her from contacting other practitioners, Ms. Zhang’s husband kept a close eye on her and verbally abused and beat her.
Arrest and Secret Sentencing
Ms. Zhang was arrested on March 17, 2023, for distributing Falun Gong materials. After a brief interrogation by the arresting officers from the Tahe County Police Department, she was released on bail that night.
In the next few months, Ms. Zhang faced constant harassment by the local police and residential committee staff members. They questioned her whether she had contact with other Falun Gong practitioners and who provided the materials that she distributed. The Tahe County TV station also broadcast a program that slandered her, bringing tremendous pressure on her and her family.
The police submitted Ms. Zhang’s case to the Tahe County Procuratorate in early September 2023. She was indicted in mid-October and her case was forwarded to the Tahe County Court.
Minghui.org confirmed in February 2024 that Ms. Zhang was sentenced to one year and allowed to serve time outside of prison. The details about her trial and sentencing are not available.
Related Report:
Heilongjiang Woman Secretly Sentenced to One Year for Distributing Falun Gong Materials
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