(Minghui.org) Seventeen residents in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province were arrested on September 11, 2019 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

It was reported that the police monitored the practitioners' daily lives for months before executing the arrests. The police ransacked most practitioners' homes and confiscated their Falun Gong books, computers, cellphones and other personal belongings.

Ms. Dong Wenxiu, 58, was arrested around 5 a.m. The police ransacked her home in front of her 90-year-old bedridden mother, who now struggles to find care after Ms. Dong, her sole caregiver, was sent to Harbin City No. 2 Detention Center.

Ms. Wang Shulan, in her 70s, was arrested around 6 a.m. outside of her home. The police forced her to open the door for them. Her husband, Mr. Li Jizhong, in his 70s, was also arrested. Ms. Wang is now detained at Harbin City No. 2 Detention Center. Mr. Li's detention location remains to be investigated.

Mr. Zhang Daqiu was also arrested around 6 a.m.

Ms. Wang Yurong, 61, had her home broken into around 11 a.m. The officers locked her in a chair and raided her residence.

Ms. Wang and two other practitioners arrested on the same day, Ms. Wan Fang and Ms. Zhang Haiyan, around 56, were all sent to Harbin City No. 2 Detention Center.

Ms. Meng Xianzhen was arrested in the morning when she was home alone. She was released on the same day after being rejected admission by the detention center for having high blood pressure.

The eighth arrested practitioner, Ms. Sun Fengxia was released around 2 a.m. on September 12.

In addition to the above-mentioned practitioners, nine more in Tonghe County, Harbin City were also arrested on the same day, including Ms. Chen Shoumei, Ms. Zhang Xiuying, and three practitioners surnamed Zhu, Zhang and Zhou, respectively. The other four practitioners' names and more details about their arrests are being investigated.