70-year-old Retired Hospital President Subjected to Forced Labor in Prison
(Minghui.org) A 70-year-old retired hospital president in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province is forced to do intensive unpaid labor in prison while serving a 7.5-year term for practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
At the first ward in Tangshan City No. 5 Prison in Hebei Province, Mr. Li Yanchun is forced to make clothes for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. The prison never provided breakfast on Sunday mornings. Due to the intensive labor and his age, Mr. Li was often exhausted. He requested to have a physical examination at his own expense, but Liu, the ward head, rejected him and continued to force him to do the same amount of work every day.
Mr. Li Yanchun
Mr. Li and his wife, Ms. Pei Yuxian, a 69-year-old award-winning oncologist, were arrested on November 25, 2018 after being reported for handing out calendars with information about Falun Gong. The police interrogated them for over six hours.
The officers later took the couple to their home and ransacked their residence. When Mr. Li resisted, the officers slapped him in the face, causing his mouth to bleed, and forced him to kneel down with his hands cuffed behind his back.
While Mr. Li was released on bail due to high blood pressure after 20 hours of detention, Ms. Pei was sent to Qinhuangdao City Detention Center.
They appeared in the Changli County Court on May 31, 2019. Their Falun Gong books, computer, printer, and cellphone were used as “prosecution evidence” against them.
The couple’s lawyer argued that his clients’ possession of Falun Gong books broke no law, according to a notice issued in 2011 by the Chinese publication bureau that revoked the ban on Falun Gong books. When the lawyer mentioned the notice for a second time, the presiding judge threatened to remove him from the courtroom should he talk about the notice again.
The judge announced on August 27, 2019 a sentence for Mr. Li of 7.5 years with a 20,000-yuan fine and Ms. Pei was given four years with a 5,000-yuan fine. Mr. Li was allowed to go home after the sentencing, but Ms. Pei was transferred from the detention center to the Shijiazhuang Women’s Prison.
Mr. Li was seized by three plainclothes officers from the Shuangwang Police Station outside of his residence on July 22, 2021 and taken to the Tangshan City No. 5 Prison.
Related reports:
Hebei Couple Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Calendars about Their Shared Faith
Older Couple Tried for Their Faith, Defense Lawyer Not Allowed to Mention Falun Gong