Qingdao Practitioner Ms. Liu Xiuzhen Seriously Ill in Jinan Women's Prison

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Liu Xiuzhen from Qingdao fell seriously ill two weeks after being transferred to Jinan Women's Prison in October 2014. She was sentenced to three years in prison in early October, after an 18-month detention.

Ms. Liu was arrested at her home on May 2nd, 2013. Also arrested that day were more than ten other local practitioners, including Ms. Liu's son Mr. Yang Naijiang, for re-enacting and photographing methods of torture used by the Communist regime on imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners.

Ms. Liu's arrest was quickly approved, and she was charged with “leaking state secrets.” Local authorities prevented her lawyer from meeting with her before the trial. She was tried in the Chengyang District Court and sentenced to three years in prison in October 2014. Her son was sentenced to six years.

Falling Ill Two Weeks after Transfer to Prison

Without notifying her family, officials from Pudong Detention Centre transferred her to the Jinan Women's Prison on October 22nd, 2014, upon receiving the court order. The family found out that Ms. Liu had been taken to a hospital when they tried to visit her on November 6th.

A prison official met with the family after an hour-long wait and confirmed that Ms. Liu was ill. He showed the family her medical record and said, “Liu Xiuzhen had shadows on her lung X-ray and is now in the Jinan Police Hospital.”

With written proof from the prison clinic, Ms. Liu's family finally saw her in the hospital. When asked how she was, Ms. Liu told her family that her chest felt tight. She also told them that she was given six bottles of IV fluids a day.

Her husband was heartbroken when he heard about her condition. He said he didn't understand why she and their son, kind people that had violated no laws, should suffer so much.

Just two days after her arrest in May 2013, Ms. Liu was pronounced perfectly healthy after a thorough exam at Haici Hospital. However, after a year and a half in detention and less than a month in prison, she is now seriously ill.

Ms. Liu's family has requested that she be released on medical parole.

Targeted for Her Belief

Since the onset of the persecution, Ms. Liu; her son, Mr. Yang Naijiang; and her brother-in-law, Mr. Yuan Shaohua, have been targeted for their belief in Falun Gong by local authorities and the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong). Ms. Liu had previously been sentenced to three years in prison in September 2006.

We are calling for help to rescue Ms. Liu.