Retired doctor from Beijing and a 76-year-old military wife, Guo Likun, recently requested authorities to stop persecuting her and allow her to travel to the United States for medical treatment.
Guo Likun injured her tailbone during a brutal encounter with police from the Xiju Police Station in Fengtai District when she went to the Beijing Petition Office in November 2023. As a result, she has been suffering from chronic back pain, blood in urine, and difficulty walking. Now, her lower limbs intermittently lose function, requiring her to rely on a cane.
Guo Likun told Epoch Times recently that authorities have stationed people outside her building to monitor her, restricting her freedom of movement under the excuse that she has been to Beidaihe and knows certain people. Even if she drives her own car, she is intercepted by the police. “Just because I know some people, what laws have I violated? This is completely unreasonable – it’s just being unreasonable.”
She is also prohibited from passing through the Wangfujing Street and Tiananmen Square on her way to the hospital. “When I pass by, the facial recognition through big data can locate me, and the police will take me away.”
One day in March this year, she was taken to the Tiananmen Police Station and later that night, a police officer named Huang from the Liuliqiao Police Station threatened her aggressively when they reached a river beside the Second Ring Road, saying, “Either I send you to detention or you jump in.”
In May 2024, when Guo Likun’s former colleagues invited her to the United States for surgery, she and her daughter had already purchased tickets and were ready to board the flight. However, the police blocked them at home, preventing them from leaving until they missed their boarding time.
Guo Likun stated that at 75 years old, if she does not undergo surgery soon, her ability to walk with both legs may be at risk. “I am a victim. I can only stay upstairs, which is like being put in a prison. They just want to kill you, exhaust you, they are especially cruel, and lack humanity.”
The apartment Guo Likun currently resides in the Navy Wanquansi Community, Building 1 has had severe construction quality issues since its completion in 2011, including structural cracks, shoddy construction, water leakage, electrical problems, frequent short circuits, tripped breakers, and fires. Guo Likun and other homeowners have jointly requested repairs but have not received any solutions.
On July 9, 2015, their house was forcefully demolished. Guo Likun’s husband, the 80-year-old Ji Zhuotu, was beaten by the demolition team, sustaining multiple fractures and internal injuries, which led to him being hospitalized in a coma for medical treatment. His condition worsened, and he passed away in January 2018.
Over the past decade, Guo Likun has faced severe suppression from the authorities for her rights activism. In September 2021, she was detained for “provoking trouble” and was not released until March 15, 2023. After her release, she has been living alone in a bare room in a retirement home, facing leaking ceilings, lack of water and electricity, and struggling to survive.
Guo Likun stated that her most urgent need now is treatment. If the authorities continue to obstruct her, she will seek help from the international community. “They persecute me, harm me. My silence does not mean I have not been persecuted. If the authorities continue to prevent me from going abroad for treatment, I will hold a press conference. I must live well.”