Hubei petitioners Yin Dengzhen and Heilongjiang petitioner Xiao Shujun have been sentenced to jail on charges of “provoking trouble.” Despite both being seriously ill, they have been incarcerated, and their families are concerned about the lack of medical assistance in prison, with both their lives being in danger at any moment.
Recently, Yin Dengzhen’s daughter, Xia Beibei, has been live-streaming in front of the Chinese Consulate in Japan, exposing how the Chinese authorities systematically persecute petitioners and also intimidate their families across borders. She is calling for immediate approval from the Chinese authorities for emergency medical assistance and humanitarian release for her parents, Yin Dengzhen and Xiao Shujun.
In 2003, Yin Dengzhen exposed local official corruption and has been politically persecuted by the authorities for 22 years followed by repeated, systematic false accusations and entrapment leading to several incarcerations. With the current accumulated sentence nearing 17 years, Yin Dengzhen’s lymphoma has worsened in prison, putting his life at risk.
Xiao Shujun had her house and property forcibly taken away, winning two administrative lawsuits in 2013. However, the courts used the excuse of being unable to enforce judgments against the government, resulting in them not executing the court decisions after years of fruitless appeals. On May 19, 2021, the Heilongjiang Higher People’s Court closed Xiao Shujun’s case without enforcing the original judgment.
On June 29, 2023, Yin Dengzhen and Xiao Shujun were attacked by multiple security guards from the Supreme Court, leading to Yin Dengzhen suffering broken ribs and various injuries, while Xiao Shujun sustained injuries to multiple soft tissues, along with heart disease and epilepsy, and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
On June 30, 2023, they were charged with “assaulting a police officer” by the Chaoyang Sub-Bureau and subsequently arrested and sentenced on charges of “provocation” by causing trouble. Yin Dengzhen received a sentence of 4 years and 6 months and is currently serving time in the Wuhan Women’s Prison, whereas Xiao Shujun was given a sentence of 3 years and 6 months and is being held at the Tongjiang Detention Center.
Xia Beibei expressed extreme concern to a reporter for Epoch Times, indicating that if her mother and Xiao Shujun do not receive timely medical intervention, they could lose their lives at any moment. “My mother is on the brink of death, and every day of delay is pushing her to the brink. My only wish is for her to walk out of prison alive.”
Xia Beibei also divulged, “I have received very accurate information that following the severe sentencing of my mother and Xiao Shujun, the Supreme Court’s filing division has employed the same tactics to replicate over a dozen similar wrongful cases, as a ‘stabilizing achievement’ for the division head, Qian Xiaochen, to secure a promotion.”
Xia Beibei calls on governments, human rights organizations, and independent media worldwide to urgently pay attention to this case of political persecution and urges the Chinese authorities to immediately approve emergency medical assistance and humanitarian release for Yin Dengzhen and Xiao Shujun.