(Minghui.org) A woman from Zhenglan Banner, Inner Mongolia was tried on February 21, 2019 for her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Miao Chunlian (also known as Miao Zhilian) was visiting her son at Guyuan County, Hebei Province when she received a call on June 16, 2017, saying the police were raiding her home in Zhenglan Banner. She rushed home (about 50 miles away) and was arrested moments after she stepped in the door.
The police brought Ms. Miao to a basement and restrained her in a metal chair. Six officers interrogated her and demanded that she admit that she made all the Falun Gong books and materials confiscated from her home, and that they were all for propaganda use.
One officer threatened that they would deprive her of sleep and food if she didn't confess. Unable to bear the pressure, hunger and cold in the basement, Ms. Miao admitted against her will that she made all the materials.
The police left her on a woven grass mat over the concrete, without any bedding. Although it was summer, she felt very cold. She said she wasn't able to tell whether it was day or night during the two days she was kept there.
The police later took Ms. Miao to Zhenglan Banner Detention Center, even though she failed the physical examination with high blood pressure.
Ms. Miao resisted the persecution and refused to wear the inmate's jumpsuit at the detention center. Guard An Zhiying savagely beat her and later dragged her into an empty room, slammed her to the ground and slapped her face and head dozens of times.
Ms. Miao attempted to crawl out to the hallway, where there was a surveillance camera, but guard An dragged her back and continued to beat her. Another guard cheered on An as she beat Ms. Miao.
The detention center had to send Ms. Miao to the hospital after the beating.
Ms. Miao's blood pressure remained very high. The police extorted 5,000 yuan from her husband and released her on bail in early August 2017.
The police extended Ms. Miao's bail term on August 2, 2018 and asked her to go back home and wait for further notice.
During the time, the procuratorate twice returned her case to the police for more evidence.
Ms. Miao also submitted her appeal and defense statement, demanding the authorities to drop her case.
Zhenglan Banner Procuratorate indicted her and submitted her case to the court in late November 2018.
She hired a lawyer to enter a non-guilty plea for her.
During Ms. Miao's detention, the local government stripped her family's low-income subsidy. Her other son had been admitted to college in June 2017 and given a financial aid package of 40,000 yuan, but it was revoked because of his mother's detention.
Prior to her latest ordeal, Ms. Miao served three years at Hohhot Women's Forced Labor Camp between 2002 and 2005. She was detained for two weeks in 2009 for talking to people about Falun Gong.
