(Minghui.org) Two Shenyang City, Liaoning Province residents have been detained incommunicado for two and half months for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Four police officers broke into Ms. Jiang Shumei’s home on February 26, 2021 while she was studying Falun Gong’s teachings with Ms. Xu Zhenying. Both Ms. Jiang, in her 60s, and Ms. Xu, 76, were arrested. The police ransacked Ms. Jiang’s home and confiscated her Falun Gong books, computer and printer. 

The police refused to reveal where the two practitioners are detained. Their lawyers went to the Shenyang City Detention Center to see if they were there, but the guards denied having any knowledge of them.

Ms. Xu’s arrest came six months after she lived away from home to avoid the persecution. She was arrested earlier in February 2020 and had her home ransacked. Her husband (who doesn’t practice Falun Gong) and their two children, Chen Xin and Chen Fei, were also arrested. Her husband was released hours later. As the detention center refused to accept Ms. Xu and her two children due to the pandemic, they were later released to serve six months of house arrest.

Ms. Xu was later indicted and had her case moved to the Huanggu District Court. She was summoned to the court in August 2020 to answer some questions. To avoid being sentenced, she went into hiding, only to be arrested months later.

Prior to Ms. Jiang’s latest persecution, she was arrested on February 25, 2004. She was beaten and shocked with electric batons at the police station, resulting in her being unable to walk for days afterwards. She was sentenced to eight years at the Liaoning Province Women’s Prison after being held at a brainwashing center for a month. While serving time, she was forced to do unpaid labor for long hours each day and also subjected to constant beating and verbal abuse.