(Minghui.org) Two Falun Gong practitioners stood trial in Longquanyi Court on April 28, 2019, for removing a propaganda poster with slanderous information against their faith, a mind-body practice being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Both Ms. Yuan Xuefen and Mr. Wen Juping testified in their own defense. Ms. Yuan recounted how practicing Falun Gong improved her health and elevated her character. Mr. Wen argued that the persecution against Falun Gong had no legal basis to begin with. Ms. Yuan's lawyer also entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf. The presiding judge frequently interrupted them.
Ms. Yuan, 55, was sentenced to a two-year prison term, and Mr. Wen, 69, was sentenced to eight years. Both vowed to appeal their verdicts.
Family Devastated by Ms. Yuan's Arrest
Ms. Yuan and Mr. Wen, residents of Luodai Town, Sichuan Province, were arrested on May 21, 2018. The police searched Ms. Yuan and confiscated her cellphone and Falun Gong materials found in her purse. She was held at the Pi County Detention Center in Chengdu City. They also confiscated Mr. Wen's cellphone.
Upon learning that the Procuratorate had returned Ms. Yuan's case to the police, her 87-year-old father and 85-year-old mother went to the police station to demand her release on November 5, 2018. They were both held at the police station for a few hours before being released in the evening. Ms. Yuan's young brother and son, who went with the elderly couple, were detained in police custody for seven days.
Ms. Yuan's older brother, Mr. Yuan Bin, who also practices Falun Gong, was arrested on January 24, 2019, while visiting his parents before the Chinese New Year. He is also facing further prosecution for his faith after the Procuratorate approved his arrest.
The arrests and detention of Ms. Yuan and her brothers dealt heavy blows to their elderly parents. Although their mother fainted and was revived, their father, Mr. Yuan Guangchang, passed away due to complications caused by the mental distress.
