(Minghui.org) A mother and her daughter were arrested one day apart for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
Ms. Yan Shuzhou was seized on June 25, 2018, and sent to Yangjialong Detention Center in Shaoyang City. Her daughter, Ms. Gong Yan, was taken into custody the following day and is now held at a local brainwashing center.
This is not the first time that Ms. Yan and Ms. Gong have been targeted for their faith.
Ms. Yan credits Falun Gong for curing her chronic knee pain. Her daughter became happier and let go of her resentment for her former bullies after she started practicing Falun Gong. Ms. Yan's husband, Mr. Gong Deyuan, quit smoking after he picked up the practice as well.
For refusing to renounce their faith after the persecution of Falun Gong began, members of the family have been arrested numerous times. Ms. Gong was once sent to a local brainwashing center while she was still a student.
Her parents were both sentenced to prison following their arrest on April 18, 2009. Ms. Yan was given 7 years and her husband 2 years. Ms. Yan was brutally abused during her imprisonment. When her family was finally allowed to visit her in prison around August 2011, they noticed that she had edema all over her body, her forehead appeared bluish, and her fingers had injuries from being pricked by bamboo sticks.
Mr. Gong is calling for people to help seek the release of his wife and daughter.