(Minghui.org) A 77-year-old woman in Ziyang City was returned to custody on July 11, 2018 to finish her 7-year jail term, even though she is still recovering from severe injuries sustained from a car accident.
The local authorities were eager to keep Ms. Liu Shuhui behind bars because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. She and her late husband, as well as their three sons, had been repeatedly arrested for holding firm to their faith. Her husband died in 2002 as a result of the persecution.
Ms. Liu's latest arrest stemmed from the arrest of her middle son, Mr. Yang Changwen, and his wife, Ms. Wei Surong (also a Falun Gong practitioner) on May 5, 2015. The couple was sent to Er'e'hu Brainwashing Center in Ziyang City.
Ms. Liu was arrested three months later, on August 19. She was also sent to the same brainwashing center. She, her son, and her daughter-in-law were later released on bail after they paid a 25,000 yuan in bail bond. The police also confiscated from Ms. Liu more than 3,000 yuan of bank notes with Falun Gong messages written on them.
Ms. Liu was hit by a car just days before her scheduled court hearing on September 1, 2016. Her son, Mr. Yang Changwen, carried her to the hearing on his back. Despite her injuries, judge Fan Ping of Yanjiang District Court sentenced her to 7 years in prison. Her son was given 4 years, and his wife 7 years.
Ms. Liu's oldest son, Mr. Yang Changyou, petitioned to have his mother's sentence reduced to probation, but the court ignored his request.
Longquanyi Women's Prison in Chengdu City declined to admit Ms. Liu. Only then did the court give her a suspended sentence. While she was recovering at home, she was ordered to have medical exams and report the results on a regular basis.
Ms. Liu was home on July 10, 2018, when judge Fan stormed in with five officers. They drove her and her son-in-law, who asked to accompany his mother-in-law, to a local hospital to have her examined. When the checkup was done, Fan told Ms. Liu to get back into the police cruiser so that she didn't have to walk back with her leg still injured. She declined to go with Fan, and her son-in-law said he'd walk his mother-in-law home.
The five officers grabbed Ms. Liu and pushed her into the car. She wouldn't let goof her son-in-law's hand, and Fan agreed to let him get in as well.
As soon as they arrived at the court, Fan told Ms. Liu's son-in-law that they had to follow orders to return Ms. Liu to custody. Ms. Liu was taken to a local detention center hours later and admitted to prison the following day.
Ms. Liu is still having trouble walking by herself and has lost her hearing. She also feels dizzy all the time and once fainted while using the restroom in prison.
Ms. Liu and her late husband, Mr. Yang Yongjiu, were detained for 15 days and fined 4,000 yuan after they went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in January 2000. A few months later, on May 13, the couple was arrested again. Ms. Liu was detained for 15 days and her husband for one month.
The couple's oldest son, Mr. Yang Changyou, was arrested on May 13, 2000, for doing the Falun Gong exercises in public. He was detained for more than two weeks. He later stopped practicing Falun Gong out of fear of being arrested again, but the police still harass him.
The middle son, Mr. Yang Changwen, and his wife, were arrested in February 2000 for appealing for Falun Gong. They were detained for two weeks and fined 2,000 yuan.
Ms. Liu and her husband went to Beijing a second time on December 24, 2000, to appeal for Falun Gong. They were arrested, with Mr. Yang given 11 months of detention. He was tortured and forced to write statements to denounce Falun Gong. After he was released, he was still harassed at home on a regular basis. He passed away in 2002.
Ms. Liu was arrested in late October 2002 and tortured during her interrogation with torture. She became mentally disoriented for a brief period of time. She wasn't released until several months later.
Ms. Liu was detained for more than three weeks when she was arrested in 2005. She was taken to Er'e'hu Brainwashing Center on August 18, 2007, hours after she was arrested. During her detention, she was deprived of sleep for several days straight.
Mr. Liu was back in custody on April 26, 2010, after she was spotted putting up Falun Gong materials. The police ransacked her home that night. Her youngest son's home was also raided and his Falun Gong materials were confiscated. Ms. Liu was again taken to the brainwashing center, where she was injected with unknown drugs. Her legs became swollen and she suffered memory loss.