(Clearwisdom.net) According to a recent message, Hong Kong Falun Dafa practitioner Ms. Zeng Aihua suddenly developed symptoms of severe hypertension (high blood pressure) a week after she was sent to Shanghai Women's Prison.

In February 2007, Ms. Zeng was illegally sentenced to three years of imprisonment. In March 2007, her appeal was rejected at a second trial. On April 16, 2007, she was sent to Shanghai Women's Prison in the Songjiang District, Shanghai City.

On April 23, Ms. Zeng's blood pressure was as high as 210/110 mm Hg. On April 25, repeated blood pressure readings showed 180/110, which indicates severe hypertension. She is in serious condition. On the same day, she was sent to the Shanghai Prison General Hospital in the Hongkou District for an examination. However, she was not informed of the results.

Shanghai Women's Prison did not inform Ms. Zeng's family of her situation. Between April 16 and May 15, her family called the prison several times and inquired about when they could visit her. The prison guards always said that it would depend on whether Ms. Zeng showed regret for practicing Falun Gong, but they never mentioned her health.

Ms. Zeng's family did not know about her condition until May 16 when they received the second letter that she mailed from the prison. They were very anxious. That day and the next day, they repeatedly called the prison and inquired about her situation. Shi Lei (female), who is directly in charge of the team detaining Ms. Zeng, shifted responsibility and said she did not know anything about it because she had just returned from a business trip. Then she asked Ms. Zeng's family to talk to the upper-level authorities. Chief Yuan, who is in charge of the Fifth Division where Ms. Zeng is detained, never answered the phone. Other guards in the Fifth Division always said they did not know about her situation when they answered the phone.

Before practicing Falun Dafa, Ms. Zeng Aihua did not have a history of hypertension. Since she started to practice in 1997, she has had good health. Every index at her annual physical exams has been normal. When she was held in the detention center between May 2006 and April 2007, her family never received any notification regarding her health, and they never had a chance to visit her to ask her about her health while she was detained. However, just a week after Ms. Zeng was sent to Shanghai Women's Prison, she suddenly had symptoms of severe high blood pressure. Ms. Zeng's family suspects that what happened to her was related to the intensified brainwashing tactics and physical abuse inflicted on her by the prison guards.

Seventy-year-old Xu Xuede, Ms. Zeng Aihua's husband, is a Hong Kong resident. He suffers from many illnesses. Since Ms. Zeng was arrested, he has lived alone and no one has taken care of him. He has not been able to take care of himself since he contracted severe arthritis in his knee last December. After he heard about his wife's condition, he was deeply affected and feared that he would not see her again.

The phone numbers of relevant responsible persons:

Switchboard of Shanghai Women's Prison: 86-21-57615998
Fax: 57616779

Shi Lei, team leader of the No. 1 Team of the Fifth Division (the team that strictly monitors Falun Dafa practitioners): ext. 4505

Yuan, chief of the Fifth Division: ext. 4502
Fan Tianmin, warden of Shanghai Women's Prison
Li Ying, deputy warden of Shanghai Women's Prison
No. 2 Team of the Fifth Division: ext. 4510

Shanghai Prison Administration Bureau: 86-21-35104888-2501, 86-21-65372159
Fax: 86-21-65458819

Qiao Yesheng, director
Tai Xun, deputy director
Zhang Ling, party secretary
Wei Wei, director of Shanghai Prison General Hospital: 86-21-65375446

May 19, 2007