12+ Years of Torture: Former Teacher Becomes Incoherent

Ms. Song Yanqun (宋彦群), born 1971, is a 52 year old former teacher residing in Shulan City, Jilin Province. On March 26, 2020, she was arrested for writing a letter to then-Chinese Communist Party Premier, Li Keqiang (李克强), to call for justice for Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong. Ms. Song’s trial took place online via video conference with the Shulan City Court on November 10, 2020. Her lawyer entered a not-guilty plea and she also testified. The result was a 3.5 year sentence issued in December 2020.

Ms. Song’s father went to Jilin Province Women’s Prison to visit her on the morning of February 27, 2023. He waited until 4pm when the prison guards finally agreed to the visit.

Ms. Song was carried by two inmates. Her hair had turned gray, her eyes dull, and limbs shaking. Her speech was slurred as she told her father that she was staying in the prison hospital and regularly receiving shots. When asked how long she had been staying at the hospital, she replied “I don’t know.” Her reply was the same when asked how old her mother is.

Prior to her latest sentence, Ms. Song served 12 years in prison between 2003 and 2014. She was emaciated and in serious condition when she was released.

Ms. Song isn’t the only victim subject to persecution in her family for practicing Falun Gong. Her younger sister, Ms. Song Bing (宋冰), was sentenced to 14 years in 2004. She contracted tuberculosis in custody and was later released to serve term outside of prison, during which police would repeatedly harass her. Her health never recovered, and she passed away on July 30, 2009 at age 36.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Based on a report published by Minghui.org.