(Minghui.org) A 71-year-old woman released on bail due to a medical condition was taken back into custody on September 24, 2020, to serve a 9.5-year-term for her faith in Falun Gong. The police ransacked Ms. Chu Yuzhen's home and confiscated her Falun Gong books, computer, printer, and other personal belongings. She is now detained at the Jilin City Detention Center.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Chu, a Shulan City, Jilin Province, resident, was first arrested on October 13, 2016, with her husband, Mr. Yu Hongfu. The police loaded two cars with items worth over 30,000 yuan confiscated from their home, including their computer, printer, cellphone, and more than 10,000 yuan in cash.
Ms. Chu was released on bail due to a medical condition. Mr. Yu was held in the Shulan City Detention Center and released on bail two months later.
A local court later secretly sentenced both Ms. Chu and Mr. Yu to more than two years in prison. When the police failed to find the couple to take them to prison, they put them on the wanted list and arrested them again on June 5, 2019.
This time, both Ms. Chu and Mr. Yu suffered from serious medical conditions in detention. Ms. Chu was unable to walk and her blood vessels were inflamed. She was released on October 12, 2019, for medical care. Mr. Yu developed high blood pressure, inflammation of the heart muscle, and blurred vision.
The Chuanying District Court held a hearing on November 12, 2019, and, on November 29, sentenced Ms. Chu to 9.5 years with a 10,000-yuan fine and Mr. Yu to 8.5 years, also with a 10,000-yuan fine. The court didn’t inform them of their sentences until one month later, December 24, when the ten-day appeal window had already expired.
Ms. Chu still appealed the verdict to the Jilin City Intermediate Court on December 31, but her appeal was rejected.
Jilin Couple in Their 70s Given Heavy Sentences for Their Faith in Falun Gong