61 Year Old Ms. Jiao Shuzhen Sentenced to Shijiazhuang Women's Prison

Ms. Jiao Shuzhen from Handan City, Hebei Province is 61 years old. After being arrested by the police from her home, she was sentenced to 4 years in a prison in December 2008. On January 3rd, 2009, she was transferred to the Shijiazhuang Women's Prison.

Jiao Shuzhen had been weak and had many ailments since childhood. She was often bedridden for several days. In addition, she had serious psoriasis. In March 1999, she started to practise Falun Gong. Shortly after that, she became healthy. She could carry a 110 lb grain bag and could walk for more than 100 metres without feeling tired. She volunteered for the weekly clean up work for her entire building. Every neighbour thought of her as a really good person.

Around March or April, 2001, she was arrested and jailed in the 2nd Detention Centre of Handan City, only because she wanted to appeal for Falun Gong. After her release, policemen from the Nonglin Road Police Station would go to her home and harass her whenever so-called "sensitive days" were approaching. In 2002, before the 16th Party Congress, policemen from the Nonglin Road Police Station detained Jiao Shuzhen in the police station for about half a month. She was released after the event. In July, 2007, Jiao Shuzhen was forced to become homeless during a mass of arrests.

At around 7 am on March 21st, 2008, policemen from the National Security Group of Hanshan District, Handan City (group leader is Lu Yinghai) and the Nonglin Road Police Station broke into Jiao Shuzhen's home. They took away her TV, DVD player, satellite TV dish and receiver, computer, printer and even the electric scooter. Again, she was arrested and jailed in the 2nd Detention Centre of Handan City.

In December 2008, Jiao Shuzhen was secretly sentenced to 4 years in prison. On January 3rd, 2009, she was transferred to the Shijiazhuang Women's Prison. Her husband's life is very difficult since he is almost 70 years old, with cancer and can hardly walk.

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