Older Practitioner Ms. Li Shirong Spent Seven Years in Prison

Name: Li Shirong
Gender: Female
Age: 60
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Retiree of Huaihua Railroad
Date of Most Recent Arrest: 2003
Most Recent Place of Detention: Hunan Women's Prison
City: Huaihua
Province: Hunan
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, hung up, imprisonment, torture, physical restraint, detention, denial of toilet use
Key Persecutors: Hecheng District Court at Huaihua

In 2003, Ms. Li Shirong was arrested and detained at Huaihua No. 2 Detention Centre because she practises Falun Gong and believes in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She was later sentenced by Hecheng District Court at Huaihua, and suffered for seven years at Hunan Women's Prison.

While she was imprisoned, Ms. Li was monitored by criminal inmates around the clock. She was not allowed to close the door even when she went to the toilet or took a shower. Ms. Li was not allowed to bend her knees while sleeping, talk to other people, or stand or sit next to other prisoners' beds. She was only allowed to sit and stand around her own bed, and her light always had to be on, even when she slept. Ms. Li was forbidden to study the Falun Gong teachings or do Falun Gong exercises. She stayed in a room that was less than 2 square metres per person, and she ate, lived and did forced labour there. The prisoners were instructed by prison guards to monitor the Falun Gong practitioners. Prisoners could yell at Falun Gong practitioners as they wished, and if a Falun Gong practitioner said anything back, she would be attacked and it would be reported to the prison guards that she “refused to obey.” The Falun Gong practitioner would then be disciplined and endure severe torture.

One day in 2008, a prison guard took Ms. Li out of her cell and told her to pick up the rubbish on the lawn. While she was on the lawn, more than ten people charged at her. They tied her up, stuffed her mouth with a rag, and then dragged her to the brainwashing classroom. Prison guards Zhou Chan (ward leader), Li Hui (group leader), Deng (instructor), Tang Ying (group leader) and Luo Hui (group leader) led He Ying and other prisoners to physically attack the Falun Gong practitioners there. Several people sat on Ms. Li while they stuffed her mouth with a rag, bound her with tape and cuffed her hands behind her back. Ms. Li was hung up for two days and one night, with only her toes touching the floor. She was then bombarded with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda. She was allowed very little and sometimes no sleep at all. She was also tortured by being forced to stand for 35 days.

Ms. Li's health deteriorated. She had general oedema, and she was unable to bend her back and knees. She was disoriented to the point that she was unable to find her own bed. Even under these circumstances, there were still three criminals taking turns monitoring her.

In October 2009, Ms. Li went home. It was time for her to start her retirement procedure and receive her pension. However, because she is a Falun Gong practitioner, her pension was denied. Ms. Li now has no income to live on.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2011/1/5/234543.html