(Minghui.org) When Ms. Lu Houfen’s children went to the Naikai District Detention Center in Tianjin to make a deposit for her in December 2019, they learned that she had been transferred away in September.
The detention center staff refused to disclose her whereabouts. Her family, especially her 96-year-old mother, worries about her safety.
Ms. Lu, a 63-year-old Tianjin resident, was arrested on December 28, 2017, for practicing Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
At least 36 other Falun Gong practitioners in Tianjin were also arrested on the same day and 5 were harassed. All of their homes were ransacked and their Falun Gong related items confiscated.
Ms. Lu appeared in Nankai District Court on January 23, 2019. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea for her and argued that no law has criminalized Falun Gong in China. Ms. Lu also testified in her own defense and asked the prosecutor what law she had violated by possessing Falun Gong materials. The prosecutor didn’t respond.
The court never informed Ms. Lu or her family of her verdict. They are now kept in the dark about her current situation.
Ms. Lu has suffered from poor health since childhood. She had many problems with her digestive system and also had severe infections of her throat. She regained her health after taking up Falun Gong in 1996. She also credits the practice with helping her find inner peace.
Prior to her latest detention, she was given 15 months of forced labor in 2009 after being arrested for talking to people about Falun Gong.
Related report:
Tianjin: 24 Arrested in One Day for Refusing to Renounce Falun Gong
