Ms. Qi Yaru in Critical Condition Due to Torture

Ms. Qi Yaru, 47, is a Falun Gong practitioner from Habin City, Heilongjiang Province. Because of practising Falun Gong and living by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance (the three pillars of the practice), she was arrested five times over the past 14 years.

Ms. Qi was sentenced to four years in prison in July 2012. She has been incarcerated in the Women's Prison of Heilongjiang Province. She is currently in critical condition due to torture.

Bedridden As a Result of Torture

On June 14th, 2013, Ms. Qi's family received a call from the prison, telling them that Ms. Qi is now bedridden and unable to eat or take fluids. The prison wanted the family to pay for further medical treatment. On June 17th, the family paid 1,000 yuan¹.

On June 21st, a female guard with surname Xu called to advise that Ms. Qi had been transferred to the Central Hospital of the Prison Administration Bureau of Heilongjiang Province. The guard said that Ms. Qi was emaciated since she had not eaten for many days. She was receiving transfusions and would not be treated further until her condition improved. The family was told to visit Ms. Qi on June 22nd.

The family arrived at the hospital early in the morning on June 22nd, but were refused entry because they were not accompanied by a prison guard. On contacting Xu, they were told that she was too busy to come.

They were then told to pay more for Ms. Qi's hospitalisation.

Ms. Qi is being held in the Hospitalisation Centre for Special Personnel, which is located on the 8th floor of the Central Hospital of the Prison Administration Bureau. She is in critical condition and unable to eat.

Returning to Good Health after Practising Falun Gong

Ms. Qi had been in poor health since she was young. She was in great pain and even bedridden for a period of time. She was diagnosed with Hepatitis B. Although she spent a lot of money on various treatments, there wasn't any improvement in her health.

Ms. Qi began to practise Falun Gong in May 1995. Several months later, she regained her health and mental well-being. Her physical strength returned, and she could now do the chores and take good care of her family. She no longer looked glum and always wore a big smile.

Arrested and Detained

Since the communist regime began its persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, Ms. Qi has been arrested and detained five times. When her daughter turned two, she was sentenced to three years of forced labour.

Because she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she was tortured in the Qianjin Forced Labour Camp. She was hung up and beaten, losing her front tooth in the process.

In the Women's Prison of Heilongjiang Province, she was again hung up with her hands cuffed, as well as forced to sit on her heels for a long period of time and forced to perform slave labour. The torture and mistreatment suffered in the prison have led to her current hospitalisation.

Family Harassed and Imprisoned

Ms. Qi's husband, daughter and son do not practise Falun Gong. Nevertheless, they have suffered greatly due to the persecution as well. They have been harassed and even detained by police, who also extorted money from them.

To support the family, Ms. Qi's husband has had to work in another city, and her son had to leave school and work.

Ms. Qi's 11-year-old daughter has been left without a mother, and her 95-year-old father-in-law, who has dementia, has no one to care for him at home.

We hereby call on the kindhearted people of the world to help rescue Ms. Qi and condemn the communist regime's senseless persecution of Falun Gong.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.