(Minghui.org) Five Pinggu District residents were tried in Pinggu District Detention Center between May and October 2016. All of them were sentenced to prison for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.

Ms. Yang Xiaofeng was tried on May 24, and sentenced to two years and fined 4,000 yuan on June 22. Her appeal has been denied.

Ms. Liu Cuifen was tried on July 20, and sentenced to two years and fined 4,000 yuan on August 22. She has filed an appeal.

Ms. Yue Guixia, Ms. Zhang Lanzhi, and Ms. Liu Fenghua were tried on October 18, and sentenced to prison on November 4. Ms. Yue was given two years and fined 4,000 yuan, Ms. Zhang was given 3.5 years and fined 7,000 yuan, and Ms. Liu was given three years and fined 6,000 yuan.

Pinggu District Court used to try local Falun Gong practitioners right in its courthouse, but it moved all hearings to a small courtroom inside the detention center in early 2016. The sentenced practitioners’ families suspect that such a move was intended to limit public access to court hearings of Falun Gong cases.