(Minghui.org) Ms. Zou Jianhua, 66, from Yingkou City, Liaoning Province, was sentenced to 1.5 years and fined 20,000-yuan on July 6, 2023 for practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999.

Ms. Zou was arrested on January 30, 2023, at her parents’ home in Shenyang City, the province’s capital about 120 miles from Yingkou. Her computer and printer were confiscated (she frequently visits her parents to take care of them, so she has a computer and printer in their house).

Ms. Zou’s mother, Ms. Chen Wanlian, is 87 this year. Her father is incapacitated and bedridden. They both rely on her to care for them.

Ms. Zou was sentenced by the Liaozhong City Court on July 6, 2023 (Liaozhong is under the jurisdiction of Shenyang). She appealed the verdict and is still held at the Shenyang City First Detention Center at the time of writing. It’s not clear what triggered her arrest, nor are details of her indictment, trial or sentencing available.

Ms. Zou began practicing Falun Gong in July 1996. She said the practice helped her understand the meaning of life and she strove to live by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Upon seeing her improvement both in health and character, her mother also began to practice Falun Gong in 1998. Within six months, her many ailments, including her liver, gallbladder, stomach, as well as gynecological diseases, heart disease, and bone hyperplasia, all disappeared.

The mother and daughter remain firm in their faith after the communist regime ordered the persecution in 1999. They faced constant harassment from local police and community workers, who tried to force them to give up practicing Falun Gong.