(Minghui.org) A woman in Yingkou City was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. Ms. Chen Lili is now appealing her case.
According to insiders, the police had monitored Ms. Chen for a long time before they seized her at a local mall on June 28, 2016. When Ms. Chen’s sister, who was with her at the time, protested the arrest, she was handcuffed and injured.
In the police car, one officer said to the sister, “Do you believe in Falun Gong? If you don’t, curse its founder!” The sister shot back, “Why should I curse the founder? How would you like it if I cursed at you for no reason?”
The officers beat Ms. Chen in the cruiser and flung a huge key chain at her head. She suddenly showed symptoms of a heart ailment, and the police had to stop at a pharmacy to get her some medicine.
Hours later Ms. Chen was taken back to her primary residence to pick up some clothes. The police later ransacked both that residence and Ms. Chen’s other home.
Ms. Chen’s family received a phone call two days later, telling them to come to the local police station to sign a detention notice. On July 28, 2016, the family was notified to sign her formal arrest warrant.
Ms. Chen appeared in court twice, on April 6, 2017, and again on April 17. The first hearing was held in the local court, while the second was held in a makeshift courtroom in Yingkou Detention Center. Her family was only allowed to attend the first hearing.
The presiding judge, Han Shukun, sentenced Ms. Chen to prison. Her family received a call from the detention center on May 29, informing them of the sentence, but they have yet to receive formal notification of the verdict.
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