(Minghui.org) A native of Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province was not free to leave the prison by herself when she finished serving five years for her belief in Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa), a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Shortly before Ms. Wen Jie’s five-year term expired in April 2019, the authorities at Hebei Province Women’s Prison contacted the police in her hometown and demanded that they take her back to Qiqihar. On the day of her scheduled release, four people from Qiqihar, including two police officers and two residential committee staff members, arrived at the prison and escorted her back to Heilongjiang Province.
As Ms. Wen no longer had a home in Qiqihar, she told the four people that she'd stay with her brother, who lives in Harbin City, about 190 miles from Qiqihar.
The four people followed Ms. Wen to Harbin, where they entered her brother's home uninvited and called the local police to say that a Falun Gong practitioner had just moved in. The local police soon arrived to take Ms. Wen to the police station, where she was interrogated and had her fingerprints and photo taken.
Unable to stay in her brother’s home anymore, Ms. Wen turned to her 85-year-old mother, who was so intimidated by the authorities that she didn’t dare let her daughter stay at her home.
With her ID having been suspended since her nine-year prison sentence for practicing Falun Gong in 2001, Ms. Wen cannot find full-time employment and does odd jobs to make a living. She now finds temporary shelter at a Falun Gong practitioner’s home, and still worries her future survival.
Ms. Wen Jie
Ms. Wen credits Falun Gong for curing her arthritis, neurasthenia, and heart ailments. She, however, has twice been jailed for holding firm to her faith.
Twice Imprisoned for a Total of 14 Years
Ms. Wen, 55 and a former middle school teacher in Qiqihar City, was arrested in January 2001 and sentenced to nine years in prison for her faith in Falun Gong. She moved to Sanhe City, Hebei Province to avoid the constant harassment by the authorities after she was released in 2010. She was arrested again on April 22, 2014 for sending group texts about Falun Gong.
After spending twelve days at Sanhe Detention Center, Ms. Wen was sent to a local brainwashing center. Two staff members slandered Falun Gong and its founder, and attempted to force her to give up her faith. She firmly refused.
During the two months that Ms. Wen was held at the brainwashing center, the authorities blocked her lawyer from meeting with her. She also suffered a heart problem and was sent to the hospital.
Jia Zhixue, the local director of the Domestic Security Division, attempted to block Ms. Wen's lawyer from entering a not guilty plea for her.
Ms. Wen appeared in the Sanhe City Court five times and suffered another heart episode during her second hearing. The court officials didn’t provide any medical treatment to her and simply adjourned the hearing.
The judge sentenced Ms. Wen to five years in prison on November 5, 2015. She appealed the verdict with the Langfang City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold the original sentence on May 13, 2016.
While serving time at Hebei Province Women’s Prison, Ms. Wen was forced to watch propaganda videos attacking Falun Gong every day, sometimes for more than 10 hours a day, causing her tremendous mental distress.
The guards restricted Ms. Wen from buying food or daily necessities. They also forced her to undergo two physical examinations and have her blood drawn. She was ordered to pay the 600-yuan examination fee.
Ms. Wen's father passed away during her second imprisonment.
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