Yan Hongmei - 严红梅
(Minghui.org) Two women in Sichuan Province died nine days apart in two different prisons. Their bodies were immediately cremated, and their families were only informed later when it was time to pick up their ashes.
Ms. Yan Hongmei and Ms. Hu Xia were imprisoned for the same reason – they both refused to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Ms. Yan was arrested on August 4, 2014 and ordered to serve 4 years in Chengdu Women’s Prison. She developed cancer, but was denied medical parole. She died in the prison hospital on December 28, 2017. The prison authorities once claimed that they would cremate her body right away should she die in custody. Their threat came to fruition following her death.
Cancer-stricken Teacher Denied Medical Parole, Dies 4 Days Before New Year
Ms. Yan, an art teacher at Tianshui Elementary School in Chengdu City, was arrested on August 4, 2014 after being reported for talking to her pupils about Falun Gong. She appeared in court on March 7, 2015 and was sentenced to four years in prison four days later. The local appeals court soon rejected her appeal without holding a hearing or consulting her lawyer as required by law.
Ms. Yan’s health kept declining while incarcerated at Longquan Women’s Prison. She was diagnosed with cancer, but not given proper medical attention. As her condition worsened, guards eventually checked her into the prison hospital on September 2, 2017.
Her family’s repeated requests to have her released on medical parole were denied. They were also told that they would not be allowed to claim her body should she die in custody.
She passed away four days before the 2018 New Year. Her family received a notice to go to a funeral home to pick up her ashes. They were never asked for their consent of cremation.
