(Minghui.org) Seven Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, residents who stood trial on December 16 and 17, 2021 for practicing Falun Gong have been sentenced to prison.
- Mr. Zhang Kunshan, in his 50s, was sentenced to seven years. He has appealed the verdict.- Ms. Yu Shufen, 56, was given three years and two months. She appealed the verdict and was rejected.- Ms. Li Jing, 65, was sentenced to three and a half years.- Ms. Wu Yanling and her husband Mr. Wang Zhongxue, both in their 60s, were given three and two years respectively.- Ms. Liu Sulan, 76, was sentenced to one and a half years.-Ms. Wan Guiying, 73, was sentenced to one year.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Wan was arrested on September 8, 2021, while the other six practitioners were seized on June 11, 2021 in a police sweep that the police claimed to be a “gift” for the Chinese Communist Party’s centennial celebration on July 1. At least 27 practitioners were arrested on the same day.
Mr. Wang and Ms. Wu are retired employees of Lingyuan Steel Company. During the couple’s arrests, the police turned their home upside down, and confiscated their printer, computer, Falun Gong books, and even printing paper. Their front door was left open when the police left. The arrest of Ms. Wu, an only child, left her father, who is in his 90s, struggling to care for himself.
Mr. Zhang, also a retired employee of the Lingyuan Steel Company, had his home ransacked at 6 a.m., even though he wasn’t home when the police came. A crowd watched the police load their car with his Falun Gong books, photo of Falun Gong’s founder, and other Falun Gong-related materials. An onlooker said he recalled seeing the police ask nearby residents about Mr. Zhang, with a photo of him in hand.
Mr. Zhang was held at the Lingyuan City Detention Center. Mr. Wang was kept in a detention facility in nearby Jianping County. The five female practitioners were detained at the Chaoyang City Women’s Detention Center.
The Lingyuan City Court held the hearings of the practitioners’ cases on December 16 and 17, 2021 through video conferences. The judge barred the practitioners’ lawyers and families from attending in person, citing the pandemic as an excuse. All other hearings by the same court were held in person though.
Related reports:
Two Liaoning Residents Sentenced to Prison for Practicing Falun Gong
Seven Liaoning Residents Stand Trial for Practicing Falun Gong
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