(Minghui.org) Two Yangquan City, Shanxi Province residents were sentenced to prison for practicing Falun Gong. A third resident, 79, is facing further prosecution.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Jia Baoling, 53, and Ms. Yang Erbian, 62, both retirees of a chemical plant, were arrested on March 12, 2019 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. The police confiscated their Falun Gong books and many other personal belongings before sending them to Yangquan City Detention Center.

Ms. Jia’s father-in-law was in tremendous mental distress following her arrest. He lost his appetite and his health quickly deteriorated. He passed away soon, at the age of 86.

It was recently confirmed by Minghui.org that Ms. Jia has been sentenced to 2.5 years and Ms. Yang to 1.5 years by Pingding County Court.

Prior to her latest sentencing, Ms. Jia was given one year of forced labor in 2000.

The third practitioner, Ms. Gao Baorong, was arrested on August 28, 2019, also for distributing Falun Gong materials. She has been held at Yangquan City Detention Center since. The police has submitted her case to Jiaoqu Procuratorate. She is facing indictment for her faith.

All three practitioners were harassed in 2017 for upholding their faith.