(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioners Ms. Zhang Shuchun, Ms. Wang Haohong, Mr. Li Yongjie and Mr. Peng Yuekuan from Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province, were arrested and then heavily sentenced by the Zhaoyuan Municipal Court. As of November 9, 2009, they have been held for five and a half months. Ms. Zhang Shuchun was sentenced to seven and a half years, Ms. Wang Haohong seven years, and Mr. Li Yongjie five years, while the sentence of Mr. Peng Yuekuan is unknown.

On November 9, a so-called trial was held, while in fact there was nothing legal about the proceedings. The only ones present in the courtroom were Wang Haitao, the vice presiding judge, and one of his staff members. The only ones in the audience were five of the defendants' relatives. After Wang Haitao arrived in the court room, he and his staff member hastily wrote down some things. When they were done writing, Wang Haitao announced the judgments to the defendants' relatives. The relatives of the Dafa practitioners were very angry and asked the court, "How can you make such sentences without an open court?" Wang Haitao answered, "There is no need for an open court."

The mothers of Zhang Shuchun and Wang Haohong, are both almost 80 years old. So that they would not miss their daughters' court hearing, the two elderly mothers waited for seven days outside near the detention station where Ms. Zhang and Ms. Wang were in custody. During that time a cold front came through and the temperature dropped significantly. At night, they slept on corn stalks near the detention station. They were not able to see their daughters in the court; they could only hear the harsh sentences against their daughters.

Ms. Zhang Shuchun, Ms. Wang Haohong, Mr. Li Yongjie and Mr. Peng Yuekuan were brutally arrested in Xingbei Village, Xiadian Town in May 2009. The arrest was reported by the Clearwisdom website. They have been held in Zhaoyuan City Detention Station for five and a half months. Dafa practitioners Mr. Wang Renqing and Mr. Wang Lianglin were also arrested at the same time. They are still detained and suffering persecution in the notorious Ling Nan Jin Brainwashing Center.

Ms. Zhang Shuchun, Ms. Wang Haohong, Mr. Li Yongjie, and Mr. Peng Yuekuan have been suffering severe persecution from the Chinese Communist Party during the past decade. This persecution has been reported by the Clearwisdom website on many occasions. Ms. Zhang Shuchun, Ms. Wang Haohong and Mr. Li Yongjie were forcibly displaced for many years. Mr. Peng Yuekuan has previously been sentenced to five years. He has been arrested again, just less than a year just after he finished serving five years in jail.

Dafa practitioners, Ms. Wang Meifen, Ms. Li Yufeng and Ms. Yang Songmei have also been arrested recently and have been detained in brainwashing centers.

We hope that the situation of the persecuted practitioners in Zhaoyuan City will come to the attention of advocates of justice at home and abroad.