(Minghui.org) A 77-year-old man serving time for his faith has been incapacitated in prison, but his family has been denied visitation with him. They are requesting his immediate release.
Mr. Sun Shilian, a resident of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, was arrested on April 20, 2016 after being reported for sending text messages exposing the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong. This is not the first time that he has been targeted for his faith. Back in 2002 he was given 12 years in prison and later tortured to near death.
Mr. Sun developed health symptoms soon after his latest arrest and was at one point rushed to a local hospital.
Lushan District Court held a secret trial of Mr. Sun in August 2016. Only three of his family members were allowed inside the gallery, but they were prohibited from testifying in his defense.
The judge adjourned the hearing without issuing a verdict. As Mr. Sun’s family received no update on his case, they went to the detention center to see him. Only then did they learn that he had been sentenced to 3 years and 3 months. The detention center, however, declined to tell them which prison Mr. Sun was moved to.
Mr. Sun’s family visited every prison in the area and eventually found out that he’s being incarcerated at Nanchang Prison. They immediately asked to see him, but their request was turned down. They tried one more time later, but to no avail.
The prison called the family a few months later, asking them to go visit Mr. Sun, who was said to have fallen ill. They rushed there, but the prison authorities suddenly changed their mind and called off the family’s meeting with Mr. Sun.
Mr. Sun’s family received another phone call from the prison days later. This time they were told that Mr. Sun had taken a fall and suffered broken bones. The caller refused to elaborate on how and why Mr. Sun fell in the first place.
The family visited the prison again following the call, but they were still barred outside at the last minute. The guards said Mr. Sun didn’t agree to the medical treatment plans offered by the prison.
