(Minghui.org) Two women in Xuchang City, Henan Province, are awaiting verdicts for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Pan Yuhuan and Ms. Yang Xinhong were arrested on August 22, 2020, after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. They have been held in the Yulinxiang Detention Center ever since.
Prior to their hearing on February 5, 2021, presiding judge Wang Lin urged their children to persuade the practitioners to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence, but they refused to comply.
The hearing, which was conducted under the jurisdiction of the Weidu District Court, was held in the detention center. Only Ms. Pan's daughter and Ms. Yang's son were allowed to attend. The practitioners’ two lawyers pled not guilty on their behalf and argued that there was no legal basis for charging them. Judge Wang repeatedly interrupted the lawyers and the practitioners’ own defense.
The practitioners’ two children asked to speak in their defense, but judge Wang ignored them and didn’t give them any opportunity to talk.
Ms. Pan, 56, took up Falun Gong in April 1999. She credits the practice for curing her back pain, frozen shoulder, and stomach problem. She is known for being kind and hardworking.
Ms. Pan has a blended family. She and her husband each have a child from a previous marriage. Her husband has three brothers. In China it is traditional for parents to take turns living in each son's home, but her parents-in-law live with her all the time. She had no complaint and took good care of them. After they became bedridden, she cooked for them, fed them, and helped them in the bathroom.
After her stepson divorced, Ms. Pan also cared for his son on occasion. At one point, her own mother fell and broke her leg. She also moved in and Ms. Pan took care of several people at the same time.
Her daughter said, “It’s amazing to see the responsibilities my mother took on and the sacrifices she made for the family. If she didn’t practice Falun Gong, she wouldn’t have been able to do this. This is the power of faith.”
Ms. Yang, 47, always takes the difficult assignment at work and never complains. Her husband died in a car accident three years ago. She said it was Falun Gong that gave her faith and strength to carry on and take care of her teenage child as a single mother. Her son also became more mature, independent, and considerate.
Related report:
Two Henan Residents Arrested for Talking to People about Falun Gong
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