Liaoning Woman Brutally Tortured for Five Years in Prison for Her Faith

(Minghui.org) Ms. Wang Yuhong, a native of Linghai City, Liaoning Province, was released on April 13, 2022, after serving five years for her faith in Falun Gong, an ancient Chinese mind and body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. Due to the brutal torture in prison, she was weak and thin. Three of her incisors were knocked out during a beating. Half of her hair was gray. Her hands were trembling.

Arrested and Sentenced

Ms. Dai Yunqin, also a Falun Gong practitioner, went to visit Ms. Wang on the morning of April 14, 2017, unaware that she had been followed by the police. Shortly after she arrived, over a dozen people, including the police from Jinzhou City Police Department and Linghai City Domestic Security Office, as well as staff members from the local residential committee, broke into Ms. Wang’s home without showing any documents. They arrested both practitioners, ransacked Ms. Wang’s home, and confiscated her computer, cell phone, all of her Falun Gong books, and other personal belongings.

Ms. Wang was taken to Jinzhou Detention Center that afternoon. Her arrest was approved shortly afterward.

Ms. Wang was tried in the Linghai City Court on September 11, 2017. She denied all of the charges. She said that she strove to be a good person by following Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and that she didn’t commit any crime. Her defense lawyer also entered a not guilty plea for her and demanded her acquittal.

The judge sentenced her to five years in prison with a 20,000-yuan fine. She was taken to the Liaoning Province Second Women’s Prison on December 5, 2017.

Tortured in Prison

Ms. Wang was subjected to long-term torture in the prison.

She was summoned to a prison office on October 27, 2021. Guard Zhao Changru and team lead Zhang Yu tried to force her to renounce her faith. Ms. Wang kindly told them that Falun Gong teaches people to be good and that she did not commit any crime for upholding her faith. They became furious.

To get her cellmates to hate her, they wouldn’t let any of them bathe and forced them to sit on a small stool to study brainwashing materials.

Seeing that Ms. Wang still refused to compromise, Zhao ordered inmate Sun Shanshan and other guards to beat her. They kicked, punched, and smacked her head, face, and chest. Inmate Sun stuffed a rag in her mouth to keep her from shouting. They did not stop the beating until blood was dripping from her mouth. Three of her incisors were knocked out and many of her teeth became loose. After, she had difficulty eating and often had to swallow food that was barely chewed.

When Ms. Wang argued with the guards about their illegal actions and demanded justice, section chief Dong Lu said to her, “Sue us if you want, but do you have money to hire a lawyer? Who will testify for you? Inmates here are like ants, and we can treat you guys any way we want.” Ms. Wang ended up being issued a reprimand while nothing happened to the involved guards and inmates.

When the guards handed in her reprimand paperwork, they told her to cooperate, as their body cameras were recording. She opened her mouth to show that her incisors had been knocked out and refused to accept the reprimand. She demanded the authorities to uphold justice, but to no avail. The reprimand lowered her monthly spending cap on necessities from 200 yuan to 100 yuan (15 USD).

To stop the injustice and to keep her cellmates from being punished, she went on a hunger strike to protest.

By the time she was released from prison, she was in extremely bad shape.