(Minghui.org) Having served two prison terms for a total of seven years, a Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province resident was recently sentenced to another five-year term for his faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Xiang Benzi was arrested on June 29, 2019, and detained at the Dongguan City No.2 Detention Center. It’s reported that the police arrested him after seeing him distributing Falun Gong materials through surveillance cameras.
The Dongguan City Court later sentenced him to five years. After he appealed, the Dongguan City Intermediate Court rejected his case and upheld his verdict.
Shortly after Mr. Xiang was transferred to the Beijiang Prison on November 3, 2020, his family made repeated requests to visit him. The prison authorities denied their requests, claiming that Mr. Xiang is currently under strict management–a mandate for newly admitted Falun Gong practitioners, who are subjected to brainwashing and torture aimed at forcing them to give up their faith.
Prior to his latest term, Mr. Xiang was arrested in 2000 after being reported for making copies of Falun Gong materials while he was working in Fujian Province. He was sentenced to four years and subjected to various torture methods at the Minxi Prison. He was severely beaten in March 2003 for doing the Falun Gong exercises at night.
Mr. Xiang was arrested again on February 5, 2007, while working in Xiamen City, Fujian Province. His computer, cellphone and other personal belongings were confiscated.
The Siming District Court held a hearing of his case on August 31, 2007, and sentenced him to three years on December 28, 2007. He was transferred from the Xiamen No.1 Detention Center to the Fuzhou Prison on March 7, 2008.