(Minghui.org) A Chengdu City, Sichuan Province resident passed away on June 17, 2021, after enduring two decades of persecution for her faith in Falun Gong. 

Ms. Yan Lijun, a former employee of Sichuan Gear Factory, took up Falun Gong in 1997 and she credited the practice for improving her health and elevating her character. 

In late 1999, a few months after the Chinese Communist Party launched a nationwide campaign against Falun Gong, the Sichuan Gear Factory held a brainwashing session targeting its hundreds of employees who practiced Falun Gong. Ms. Yan was held there for three months.

In March and July 2000, Ms. Yan twice went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. She was taken back and held at the Huayang Lockup for 15 days both times. The gear factory fined her 13,000 yuan.

Ms. Yan was arrested again in 2004 and held at the Zhengxing Brainwashing Center for seven months.

Her next arrest was on November 11, 2007 for talking to people about Falun Gong. Her home was ransacked. She was tortured and administered toxic drugs while in custody. The Shuangliu County Court held a secret trial on October 8, 2008. Her family wasn’t informed of the hearing. The lawyer appointed by the court wasn’t allowed to enter a not guilty plea for Ms. Yan. The judge sentenced her to four years in the Longquan Women’s Prison.

After Ms. Yan was released ahead of time, the gear factory withheld her salary of nearly 40,000 yuan. She was arrested one more time on July 26, 2011 and detained briefly.

Ms. Yan and her husband later moved to his hometown in Chongqing. Zhang Qihong and Lin Shuichang from the Lianhua residential committee repeatedly traveled from Chengdu to Chongqing to harass them and ordered her to renounce Falun Gong. 

In late 2016, Ms. Yan was arrested while studying Falun Gong teachings at a practitioner’s home in Chongqing. She was detained for a month. The police confiscated all of her belongings, including shoes, when releasing her. She walked back home barefoot.

Ms. Yan returned to Chengdu for a visit in 2017. She was arrested again while studying Falun Gong teachings at a local practitioner’s home. She was detained at the Shuangliu District Detention Center for a month. The practitioner who hosted the study session, Ms. Fan Ying, was later sentenced to five years. 

The long term harassment and constant detention took a toll on Ms. Yan’s health. She developed a heart condition and passed away on June 17, 2021.

Perpetrators’ contact information:
Zhang Qihong (张琪红), director of Lianhua residential committee: +86-18982235898