Detention in the notorious Shenyang City First Prison destroyed the physical and mental health of Men Yulin.
by Yang Feng
Men Yulin, a long-time Falun Gong practitioner from Dayushubao Town, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, died on October 21, 2025, just four days after being released from a seven-year prison sentence. He was 74 years old.
Men began practicing Falun Dafa in January 1997, two years before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) initiated its nationwide campaign against Falun Gong in July 1999. Like many practitioners across mainland China, he faced escalating pressure and persecution following the ban. According to sources familiar with the case, Men remained committed to his beliefs despite repeated warnings. He was arrested on April 22, 2002, released after twelve days, and kept under surveillance.
After years of practicing Falun Gong secretly, on October 18, 2018, Men was arrested at his home by officers from the Qianyang Township Police Station and the Yi County Police Department. He was taken to the Yixian County Detention Center, where he was held pending trial. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison.
During his incarceration at Shenyang City First Prison, Men reportedly endured prolonged torture and mistreatment.
Sources claim that the abuse led to a severe deterioration in his physical and mental health. By the time of his release on October 17, 2025, Men was reportedly in critical condition. He died four days later.
Although initially tolerated in the 1990s, Falun Gong was banned in 1999, and its practitioners have since faced widespread repression, including arrest, imprisonment, and torture. The Shenyang Prison has a high-security section specially designated for Falun Gong practitioners and other religious dissidents. Falun Gong has reported that in the last two years, at least three male practitioners died under suspicious circumstances there: Liu Dianyuan, Di Yongchi, and Yan Xuguang.
Men’s death has sparked renewed concern among human rights observers about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in detention. The circumstances surrounding his death have prompted calls for an independent investigation and accountability.
Yang Feng uses a pseudonym for security reasons.
