Zhao Shuyuan - 赵淑媛
(Minghui.org) An engineer from Karamay, Xinjiang Autonomous Region died 83 days after she was admitted to Xinjiang Women’s Prison in Urumqi to serve five years for filing a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin.
Ms. Zhao Shuyuan accused the former Chinese dictator of initiating the persecution of Falun Gong that resulted in her 9-year imprisonment earlier.
The 52-year-old woman was arrested on November 5, 2015 and sentenced to prison on March 7 of this year. She appealed, only to have her verdict upheld without an open hearing.
She was transferred to Xinjiang Women’s Prison on May 3. Her health quickly declined as the guards kept force-feeding and torturing her. Meanwhile, the prison denied her medical parole. Even after she fell into a coma on three occasions, they still refused to render proper treatment. She died on July 22.
Her family requested that her body be sent back to Karamay, but the prison authorities forcibly moved it to a morgue in Urumqi and threatened to have it cremated within 10 days.
Medical Parole Request Repeatedly Denied
When Ms. Zhao’s two lawyers met with her on May 31, they noticed she was extremely emaciated, weighing around 70 pounds. They immediately filed a request for her medical parole, but it was rejected.
Her son and lawyers made a second request on June 23, only to be denied again. They next visited the prison administrative bureau, but their quest for her medical parole went nowhere.
No Proper Treatment Despite Comatose State
Ms. Zhao fell into a coma three times in her final days, but was never given proper treatment.
She first lost consciousness on June 26. The guards rushed her to a local hospital, but took her back as soon as she came to hours later.
She fell into a coma again on July 12, and the doctors issued a “serious condition” notice. The guards brought her back the very next day.
She was in and out of a coma for a third time on July 19. Despite the critical condition notice issued by the doctors, prison officials planned to bring her back on the second day, citing lack of funds to cover her medical expenses.
Her family strongly requested she stay in the hospital for further treatment at their own expense. The prison officials relented, but it was too late. She would die three days later.
