(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 13 cities or counties in 9 provinces, where at least 24 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.

1. [Shanghai] Mr. Gou Xingang Detained
2. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Mr. Huang Tinghui Detained
3. [Shangcheng County, Henan Province] Ms. Zhu Jun Incarcerated in Prison
4. [Yanchi County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region] Mr. Song Laiping Sentenced
5. [Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Yan Yingjie’s Case Submitted to Court
6. [Taicang City, Jiangsu Province] Three Practitioners Sentenced to Prison
7. [Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province] Six Practitioners Sentenced to Prison
8. [Runan County, Henan Province] Four Practitioners Tried
9. [Nanning City, Guangxi Province] Ms. Yang Hong Sentenced to Prison
10. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Wang Riqing Sentenced to Prison
11. [Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province] Mr. Xu Bin Sentenced to Four Years in Prison
12. [Liuan City, Anhui Province] Ms. Zheng Zhixia and Ms. Zheng Zhirong Taken to Prison
13. [Chongqing] Ms. Tan Changrong Indicted for Filing Complaints Against Prison Abuse

1. [Shanghai] Mr. Gou Xingang Detained

Mr. Gou Xingan, who is from Tianjin and works in Shanghai, was arrested by officers from the Changning District Police Department on February 1, 2019. He is being held in the Changning Detention Center.

2. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Mr. Huang Tinghui Detained

Mr. Huang Tinghui from Dayi County was arrested by officers from the Jinyuan Town Police Station late 2017. He is still being held in the Dayi Detention Center.

Parties involved in persecuting Mr. Huang:Peng Zhongmin (彭钟敏), head, Public Prosecution Section: +86-13808221710

3. [Shangcheng County, Henan Province] Ms. Zhu Jun Incarcerated in Prison

Ms. Zhu Jun was arrested by officers from the Shangcheng County Domestic Security Division in May, 2018. She was sentenced to four years in prison by the Shangcheng Court, and is incarcerated in the Zhengzhou Prison, Henan Province.

Parties involved in persecuting Ms. Zhu:Xiong Zonghai (熊宗海), head, Shangcheng County Domestic Security Division: +86-13937660676Wang Jianchun (汪建春), officer: +86-13949171966Hu Kaizhi (胡开志), director, 610 Office: +86-18639703552Feng Mingxia (丰明侠), agent, 610 Office: +86-13569789010Zhengzhou Prison, Henan Province: +86-371-69812682Chen (陈某): +86-69812686

4. [Yanchi County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region] Mr. Song Laiping Sentenced

Mr. Song Laiping, 67, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison and fined 3000 yuan. The sentence was announced in the No. 4 Court of Qingtongxia City Court on the morning of December 21, 2018. Judge Liu Jing made the decision.

5. [Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Yan Yingjie’s Case Submitted to Court

Mr. Yan Yingjie was arrested by officers from the Nonglin Police Station in Yuexiu the District on July 23, 2018. He was taken to the Yuexiu Detention Center.

Mr. Yan's case was submitted to the Liwan District Court in January 2019.

6. [Taicang City, Jiangsu Province] Three Practitioners Sentenced to Prison

Ms. Qin Yanqiu and Ms. Dong Meiying were sentenced to four years in prison on January 30, 2019. Mr. Chen Yonglin was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Ms. Qin and Ms. Dong have since filed appeals.

7. [Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province] Six Practitioners Sentenced to Prison

Ms. Lu Fengxian, Ms. Yang Xiuli, Ms. Zhu Xiuming, Ms. Gao Dinglian, Ms. Liu Chunlan and Mr. Zhang Xianchen were tried in the Aihui District Court on January 28, 2019. The six practitioners were illegally sentenced to prison.

Ms. Lu was sentenced to 18 months.Ms. Zhu, Ms. Gao, Ms. Liu and Mr. Zhang were sentenced to 13 months.Ms. Yang was sentenced to 12 months.

Ms. Lu, Ms. Yang, Ms. Zhu, Ms. Gao and Ms. Liu were taken to the Shangzhi Prison on January 29.

Mr. Zhang had symptoms of tuberculosis and had a very serious cough. His knee was previously injured in a car accident, so he has difficulty walking. His lawyer asked that he not be sent to prison. He is still being held in the Heihe Detention Center, but his situation is worrying.

8. [Runan County, Henan Province] Four Practitioners Tried

Ms. Liu Yuhuan, Ms. Feng Qiaozhen, Ms. Qiao Hua and Mr. Zhang Nao from Shangcai County were tried by the Runan County Court on the morning of January 14, 2019.

Their lawyers defended them with a “not guilty” plea. About 20 of the practitioners’ family members attended the hearing. No verdict was announced in court.

9. [Nanning City, Guangxi Province] Ms. Yang Hong Sentenced to Prison

Ms. Yang Hong was arrested on October 25, 2017, while studying the Falun Gong teachings in a practitioner’s home. She was taken to the Nanning Detention Center.

Huning District Court tried Ms. Yang in May 2018. Fabricated evidence was presented during the proceedings, and the judge defamed Falun Gong.

Ms. Yang was sentenced to one year in prison.

10. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Wang Riqing Sentenced to Prison

Ms. Wang Riqing, 73, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and fined 5,000 yuan by the Kaifa District Court on September 19, 2018, for passing out informational materials about Falun Gong. She appealed, but the Dalian City Intermediate Court upheld the original verdict.

Ms. Wang was taken to the Liaoning Women's Prison after the 2019 Chinese New Year.

11. [Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province] Mr. Xu Bin Sentenced to Four Years in Prison

Mr. Xu Bin, 60, was arrested on February 28, 2018, and has been held in a detention center. He was tried at the Ranghulu District Court on August 9 and November 22, 2018.

Mr. Xu was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 20,000 yuan in mid-January 2019. Neither of his lawyers were informed of the verdict. Mr. Xu's family has appealed the verdict at his request.

12. [Liuan City, Anhui Province] Ms. Zheng Zhixia and Ms. Zheng Zhirong Taken to Prison

Ms. Zheng Zhirong and Ms. Zheng Zhixia, two sisters in their 60s, were tried by the Jinzhai County Court for practicing Falun Gong.

Ms. Zheng Zhirong was sentenced to two years, and taken to the Hefei Women's Prison on December 12, 2018.

Ms. Zheng Zhixia was sentenced to three years, and taken to the same prison on December 13.

13. [Chongqing] Ms. Tan Changrong Indicted for Filing Complaints Against Prison Abuse

Ms. Tan Changrong was indicted by the Jiangbei District Procuratorate in January 2019. She was charged with possessing paper currency with Falun Gong messages written on them and filing complaints about the torture she endured during her imprisonment from 2015 to 2018.

The prosecutor advised the judge to sentence her to three to four years in prison.