(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 16 cities or counties in 11 provinces, where at least 42 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.
1. [Kaifeng City, Henan Province] Mr. Li Zhangxi Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
2. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Ms. Xiao Huijun Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
3. [Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Gu Qiaoling Tried
4. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Gangli Tried
5. [Weifang City, Shandong Province] Four Practitioners Arrested
6. [Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region] Mr. You Haijun Arrested—Nine Practitioners’ Cases Brought to Court
7. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Several Practitioners Arrested
8. [Liaocheng City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhang Chunxiang Held in Detention Center
9. [Huizhou City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Zhao Tianhua and His Wife Ms. Cai Arrested
10. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Zhang Weiqi Held in Detention Center
11. [Huaihua City, Hunan Province] Ms. Wang Xinrong and Ms. Tang Minglan Arrested
12. [Leshan City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Hu Tongyu Harassed
13. [Huanggang City, Hubei Province] Ms. Zhang Ying Arrested
14. [Songyuan City, Jilin Province] Mr. Jiang Qi Displaced
15. [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Ms. Chen Wenjuan Arrested
16. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Niu Xiaona Arrested
17. [Linyi City, Shandong Province] Ms. Wang Xuehua Harassed
18. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhao Guozhen Summoned
1. [Kaifeng City, Henan Province] Mr. Li Zhangxi Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
Mr. Li Zhangxi, 68, was reported to the police for talking to people about Falun Gong and distributing Falun Gong materials at a secondhand market on August 11, 2019. He was arrested. He was sentenced to four years in prison in April 2020. He filed an appeal, which was rejected by the court. The original verdict was upheld.
Mr. Li was taken to the Xinmi Prison in Zhengzhou on April 16, 2021. Prison officials prevented his family from visiting him, citing the pandemic. His mother, over 80 years old, and his wife who is retired, have difficulty making ends meet.
2. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Ms. Xiao Huijun Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
Ms. Xiao Huijun from Fengrun District was sentenced to three years in prison by the Zunhua City Court on April 9, 2021.
3. [Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Gu Qiaoling Tried
Ms. Gu Qiaoling was tried via video link on May 17, 2021, by the Hongxinglong Farm Court in the Heilongjiang Reclamation Area. Lawyer Li Xiongbing entered the court alone, because Ms. Gu’s family and friends were not allowed to attend the trial. No decision was announced at the end of the trial.
4. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Gangli Tried
Ms. Liu Gangli was tried by the Economic and Technological Development Zone Court at the Shenyang City Detention Center on the morning of May 13, 2021.
Ms. Liu recounted during the trial how her illness disappeared after she began practicing Falun Gong and how she benefited both physically and mentally. She stated that no law stipulates that it is a crime for a person to uphold their belief. She affirmed that she did not do anything illegal and asked the court to acquit her.
The defense lawyer made the following statements during the trial, “The prosecutor and the judge should recuse themselves. The charges against freedom of belief have no legal grounds. At the same time, the case handlers and witnesses are required to appear in court for court investigation during the court session. The case handler, the case handler of the police department, and two key witnesses did not appear in court for court investigation, and the testimony procedure by witnesses was illegal.”
5. [Weifang City, Shandong Province] Four Practitioners Arrested
Mr. Gao Peng, Ms. Sun Shuyun, Ms. Yu Meixia, and Ms. Qin Xiaoli from Wutu Sub-district, Changle County, were arrested on May 18, 2021. Ms. Yu’s home was ransacked that afternoon. Ms. Sun returned home on May 20.
6. [Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region] Mr. You Haijun Arrested—Nine Practitioners’ Cases Brought to Court
Mr. You Haijun from Zhongning County was arrested on the evening of May 16, 2021. It is not known where he was held.
Mr. Zheng Yongxin, Ms. Yang Jie, Ms. Huang Yuxia, Ms. Chang Xiu’e, and Ms. Men Jing were held in the Zhongwei City Detention Center. Ms. Jing Yuling was held in the Yinchuan City Detention Center. Ms. Wang Shunqin was held in the Shizuishan City Detention Center. Ms. Wen Yuxiu, Ms. Zhang Yulian were placed under residential surveillance by the Shapotou District Police Department. It was reported in recent days that these nine practitioners’ case files were twice returned by the Shapotou Procuratorate for investigation. Around May 6, the Procuratorate brought their cases to the Shapotou Court.
7. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Several Practitioners Arrested
Mr. Li Manxin, Ms. Sun Fenghua, Mr. Chen Zhilei, Bi (Mr. Chen’s wife), Mr. Fu Lixin, Li Lijie (gender unknown), and Ms. Wang Haizhou were arrested on the afternoon of May 17, 2021, and their homes were ransacked. The police confiscated computers and all items related to Falun Gong.
Mr. Chen Yuchun and Ms. Sun were released. Mr. Li failed the physical examination and was released on bail after paying the police over 4,000 yuan.
8. [Liaocheng City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhang Chunxiang Held in Detention Center
Ms. Zhang Chunxiang from Gaotang County was arrested around May 8, 2021. The police pressured her to sign paperwork and told her to say that she would no longer practice Falun Gong, which she refused. She is being held in the Chiping District Detention Center.
9. [Huizhou City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Zhao Tianhua and His Wife Ms. Cai Arrested
Dozens of police officers and others in Yuanzhou Town, Boluo County broke into Mr. Zhao Tianhua’s home through his next-door neighbor’s home and arrested him and his wife Ms. Cai on May 11, 2021.
In recent years, Mr. Zhao hired several teachers to teach his children and the children of his relatives and friends, to learn traditional culture in his home.
Teacher Peng, Chen Hualiang, Wang Lifei, and teacher Lian (their genders are unknown) were also arrested at Ms. Zhao’s home that day.
The officers ransacked Mr. Zhao’s home and confiscated Falun Dafa books, printed materials, among other personal belongings.
The practitioners and four teachers have all been placed under criminal detention and held in a detention center.
10. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Zhang Weiqi Held in Detention Center
Zhang Weiqi (gender unknown) was arrested and taken to the Lunan Police Department, where Zhang was held for 48 hours, which was beyond the legal time limit. Zhang is being held in the Fengnan District Detention Center.
11. [Huaihua City, Hunan Province] Ms. Wang Xinrong and Ms. Tang Minglan Arrested
Ms. Wang Xinrong and Ms. Tang Minglan from Jingzhou County were reported to the police while talking to people about Falun Gong at a bus stop on April 4, 2021. Both practitioners were arrested by seven officers from the Feishan Police Station. They were later taken to the county Domestic Security Division. Both were released that day.
12. [Leshan City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Hu Tongyu Harassed
Three people from Qianwei County and a residential police officer went to Ms. Hu Tongyu’s home on May 18, 2021. They demanded that Ms. Hu hand over her Falun Gong materials. She said she did not have any. The officer searched all around her home and photographed it.
Five people from a community management office in Qianwei County went to Ms. Fan Hui’s home and photographed it on April 29, 2021.
13. [Huanggang City, Hubei Province] Ms. Zhang Ying Arrested
Ms. Zhang Ying was arrested at home by Sun Xiaohua and other officers from the Huanggang City Domestic Security Division and officers from the Liuhe Police Station on May 12, 2021. She was taken to the police station for questioning. They also took her cell phone. One of the officers took three sheets of paper with several phone numbers printed on them. The officer told her that 43 smart phone apps in Huanggang City were being monitored in real-time. She signed paperwork and went home.
14. [Songyuan City, Jilin Province] Mr. Jiang Qi Displaced
Officers from the Jilatu Township Police Station and the security director of Xiaga Village recently pressured Mr. Jiang Qi to sign a “five statements” document renouncing Falun Gong, but he refused. These people then located and talked to Mr. Jiang’s son, who worked in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. They threatened that if Mr. Jiang’s son did not sign the five statements for his father, it would have an adverse effect on his children’s education. Mr. Jiang’s son refused.
As a result, the officers returned to harass Mr. Jiang again. In order to avoid further persecution, Mr. Jiang has since left home and is unable to tend to his fields.
15. [Wuhan City, Hubei Province] Ms. Chen Wenjuan Arrested
Ms. Chen Wenjuan from Jiang’an District was caught on video surveillance cameras when she was distributing Falun Gong materials on the afternoon of May 18, 2021. Officers from the Erqijie Police Station located her home via surveillance video, arrested her, and ransacked the place. All of her Falun Dafa books were confiscated. Ms. Chen’s current whereabouts are unknown.
16. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Niu Xiaona Arrested
Ms. Niu Xiaona and several other practitioners were arrested by officers from the Railway Public Security Division on April 19, 2021, and their homes were ransacked. Some practitioners were released on bail and taken home by their families on the evening of May 19. Ms. Niu has not yet been released.
17. [Linyi City, Shandong Province] Ms. Wang Xuehua Harassed
Ms. Wang Xuehua from Xinminguanzhuang Village, Zhuge Town, Yishui County, was harassed at home by five people led by Huang Baohui, director of the Zhuge Town Comprehensive Management Office on May 13, 2021. They pressured her to give up practicing Falun Gong.
18. [Jinan City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhao Guozhen Summoned
Ms. Zhao Guozhen from Licheng District received two calls from the Zhangqiu District Police Department and the Zhangqiu District Court on May 16 and 18, 2021, pressuring her to go to the court to pick up the hearing notice.
Ms. Zhao went to the court on the morning of May 19 and got the court summons, dated May 13, and the Zhangqiu Procuratorate’s indictment, also dated May 13. The prosecutor’s name was Wang Xiaojing.
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