Cancer-Stricken Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Faith, Dies Nine Months Later

A woman in Shandong Province was sentenced to three years in prison with four years of probation for practising Falun Gong after developing stomach cancer during detention. Her condition continued to deteriorate. She passed away nine months after the prison sentence. She was 63.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Wu Baoyu, a resident of Binzhou City, Shandong Province, was arrested at home on October 22, 2017. Her two guests, Ms. Su Cuirong and Ms. Liu Wenfang, were also seized. The police confiscated Ms. Wu's Falun Gong books and 5,000 yuan in cash.

It was reported that the three women were targeted after being found making phone calls to the public to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong.

Ms. Wu was sent to Dongying City Detention Centre on November 23, 2017, while Ms. Su and Ms. Liu were taken to Binzhou City Detention Centre.

The authorities threatened to ruin the careers of Ms. Wu's son and grandson if she refused to write statements to renounce Falun Gong. She was torn between upholding her faith and protecting her loved ones. She later told her family that she wrote the statements against her will and felt tremendous mental anguish afterwards. Her health quickly declined, and she was soon diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Ms. Wu, Ms. Su, and Ms. Liu appeared in court on March 21, 2018. Ms. Su was sentenced to seven years in prison one month later.

Although Ms. Wu was released on bail on April 28, 2018, she was sentenced to three years in prison with four years of probation on July 12, 2018.

Upon returning home, Ms. Wu became extremely weak and could not walk. Nevertheless, the police still required her to report to them each month.

She eventually succumbed to the cancer and died on April 29, 2019.