(Minghui.org) An elderly couple from Heze City, Shandong Province were recently sentenced to prison for raising awareness about the persecution of their faith in Falun Gong, which has been going on since July 1999.

Mr. Huang Kunyi, 77, and Ms. Li Meirong, around 75, were arrested in late November 2019 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong in nearby Huanggang Town. Ms. Li has since been held at the Heze City Women’s Detention Center and Mr. Huang was released due to his high blood pressure.

Both practitioners stood trial through a video conference on May 4, 2021. While Ms. Li was talking about how she recovered from many of her ailments recovered after practicing Falun Gong, the signal was suddenly lost and the hearing was never resumed. It’s unclear whether the authorities cut off the Internet connection on purpose.

The judge sentenced Ms. Li to four years and Mr. Huang to two years at the end of the trial.

Ms. Li was transferred to Jinan Women’s Prison on August 9. While Mr. Huang remains at home due to his symptoms, the authorities have kept calling him and threatening to send him to prison. The mental distress caused his health to further decline.