(Minghui.org) A Beijing resident serving time outside of prison for practicing Falun Gong died on January 29, 2019, weeks after he was fitted with electronic monitoring devices and harassed by the authorities.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been targeted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Hou Junwen, a retired professional, was arrested in May 2017 after being reported for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong.
Officers from Hepingjie Police Station confiscated his Falun Gong books and other personal belongings. He was later rejected admission by the detention center due to his physical condition and released on bail.
Mr. Hou was tried by Wenyuhe Court on September 29, 2017 and sentenced to two years in prison with a 4,000-yuan fine in December 2017.
He appealed to Beijing No. 3 Intermediate Court, which held a hearing on January 31, 2018 and upheld his sentence. He was ordered to serve time outside of prison because of his poor health.
Mr. Hou was harassed by staff members from local justice bureau and forced to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet in January 2019, four months before his term was to expire. He was deeply distressed by the strict surveillance and fell seriously ill. He passed away a few weeks later.
