Thrice Imprisoned Woman Dies 7 Months After Being Released on Medical Parole

A 49-year-old woman in Fengcheng City died seven months after she was released on medical parole.

Ms. Leng Dongmei’s death is a tragic end to her decades-long ordeal for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. She was given two years of forced labour in 2000, sentenced to 4 years in prison in 2002, and given a second 4-year jail term in 2008. Her last arrest took place on December 9, 2015 and was soon followed by a third jail term.

Ms. Leng’s family didn’t learn of her latest prison sentence until her lawyer was finally allowed to see her on May 19, 2016. She told the lawyer that she was deceived into signing the list of Falun Gong books confiscated from her home, only to find it used as evidence against her. The local court said they’d informed her family of her May 7 hearing, but she knew she was lied to when none of her loved ones showed up at her trial.

Ms. Leng’s appeal was turned down and she was sent to Liaoning Women’s Prison to serve three years. Her health quickly declined due to the physical and psychological torture inflicted on her. She was released on medical parole in July 2017, but the prison authorities ordered her to report to the local judicial bureau once every week. They also tapped her phone. She died on February 25, 2018.