(Minghui.org) An 83-year-old Beijing woman developed a severe medical condition after serving a one-year term for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Lu Xiuling was first arrested in December 2017 after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was soon released on bail due to her advanced age. One of her family members was detained for nearly 40 days for giving her a ride.
Ms. Lu was sentenced to a one-year prison term in October 2018. The authorities initially put her under house arrest, but took her back into custody in August 2019, in Beijing Women’s Prison, after deceiving her into reporting to the Daxing Detention Center. She was then taken to the prison hospital after developing a medical condition.
The prison denied Ms. Lu’s family visitation between February and August 2020 and didn’t allow her family to call her, using the pandemic as an excuse.
Ms. Lu was emaciated and weak by the time she was released in August 2020. She suffers from severe Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia and is unable to take care of herself. Yet the authorities still threatened to monitor her daily life for another five years. Her family suspected she was abused or force-fed toxic drugs while in custody.
Beijing Woman, Nearly 80, Arrested for Not Renouncing Her Faith