(Minghui.org) A Falun Gong practitioner was arrested when she went to visit her mother and sister and later sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment. Her 25-year-old niece, not a practitioner, was also detained and sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since July 1999.
Ms. Liu Zongxue credits Falun Gong for returning her to health, but she was forced to pay a dear price for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of belief.
Ms. Liu, 51, is from Anshan City, Liaoning Province. She previously had poor health, but her symptoms disappeared after she began practicing Falun Gong. She and her husband no longer had to worry about paying high medical bills and were able to enjoy family life with their three children.
Ms. Zhao Sufeng, Ms. Liu's mother, also benefited tremendously from the practice. Her blood pressure and other illnesses were cured, and she also survived a carbon monoxide poisoning.
Ms. Liu and her mother recommended the practice to her older sister, who suffered from leukemia and saw no improvement despite medical treatments.
Ms. Liu was visiting her mother on January 5, 2018, when Jin Ying and other officers from Datun Town Police Station showed up to ransack the house.
One officer saw a laptop computer and questioned who it belonged to. Ms. Liu's niece, Ms. Zhu Xiaoting, who came to visit her grandmother, said it was hers even though it wasn't hers nor Ms. Liu's. The young woman also told police that she was not a Falun Gong practitioner. She wanted to protect her aunt and grandmother.
More than ten police officers from the Anshan City Domestic Security Office arrived minutes later to arrest Ms. Liu. Her niece was also seized while trying to stop her arrest. Frightened by the scene, Ms. Liu's older sister's health deteriorated and she was sent for emergency treatment.
The police returned that evening to demand Ms. Liu's mother's signature, which they claimed would secure the release of her daughter and granddaughter. The 74-year-old mother believed the police and signed a document without knowing its content. Her signature was later used as evidence to charge Ms. Liu and Ms. Zhu, who were later transferred to Anshan First Detention Center.
The mother appealed to the Qianshan Appealing Center upon realizing she had been deceived. The police subsequently came to harass her on two occasions. They forced her to sign additional documents and have her picture taken.
The mother went to the Qianshan District Procuratorate to ask about the case. One security officer stopped her, saying inquiries were not permitted for Falun Gong cases.
Ms. Liu and Ms. Zhu were tried by the Qianshan District Court on May 11, 2018, with no defense attorney. The court announced judgment on July 9—four years of imprisonment for Ms. Liu with a 20,000 yuan fine, and 3.5 years of imprisonment for Ms. Zhu with a 10,000 yuan fine. No appeal was allowed.
Yu Tiecheng, political leader of Qianshan District Police Department, +86-13700123266, +8615698901492Fan Yong, director of Datun Town Police Station, +86-13335866333Jin Ying, police officer at Datun Town Police Station in charge of the case, +86-15698903886He Jialin, officer at Qianshan District Procuratorial OfficeZhang Rongwen, director of Qianshan District Court, +86-412-2696555, +86-13322115666Zhao Hongbo, director of Anshan First Women Detention Center
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