(Minghui.org) Practitioner Ms. Li Erying is incarcerated in the Women's Prison of Heilongjiang Province for her belief in Falun Gong. Tears flowed when she saw her family during their visit on August 25, 2016.
During the visit, Ms. Li pointed to Fan Xiumei, a prisoner who was sitting next to her, and said she was one of the people who beat her.
“Fan manages over 200 prisoners and they are all afraid of her,” said Ms. Li. “She and others beat me between August 1st and 11th. It's been two weeks and my wounds are hard to see, but my head and chest still hurt a lot. They have also frequently force-fed me.” Ms. Li was emaciated, and seemed to be absent-minded and extremely weak as she spoke during the visit.
A person who did not disclose her name told Ms. Li's family over the phone that Ms. Li had been tied to a bed for seven days because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, and that she was force-fed.
Her son visited her on August 1, and she told him, “I suffer a lot here. They always beat me. I am forced to get up at 4:00 a.m. and work all day until midnight.”
A guard who was monitoring her, shouted, “What are you saying? Do you want to meet your family or not?”
Her son said that she was emaciated. Her arms were limp and her hands were swollen. She needed to be held and supported by others.
Family Visits Obstructed
Ms. Li's family tried to visit her many times but was only allowed to see her twice. The prison authorities refused to allow most of the visits, using different excuses.
When her family went to the prison on July 8, prison authorities denied the visit, because the family did not have the “Notice of Admission” which allowed them to enter the prison. Officials of the court and the police told the family that the prison would have to issue them a notice. However, the family never received such a notice, and thus was not allowed to see her.
They went to the prison again on August 8. The receptionist called the guard and was told that Ms. Li was a bit peculiar and was not allowed to see anyone.
Li's family submitted a complaint to the Prison Management Bureau on August 11. Personnel there told them to go to the prison authorities, and that someone would receive them. However, when the family arrived at the prison, they had to wait for several hours and were simply ignored.
The family went to the prison again on August 15 and September 1, but were still denied visitation. When they asked for the reason, the receptionist took pictures of them without their consent.
Ms. Li's elder sister went to the prison on September 5 and asked to see her. The prison authorities said the relationship certificate was not an original and refused entry. Yet, the certificate was a copy of the original and was certified and stamped.
Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
Ms. Li was arrested on November 4, 2015, and sentenced by the Longsha District Court in Qiqihar City to four years in prison. The court charged her with “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement,” a generic charge used by the Chinese communist regime to frame Falun Gong practitioners.
She was taken to the Prison District No. 11 on June 8, 2016, and incarcerated in the Women's Prison of Heilongjiang Province.
