(Minghui.org) Mr. Ma Lichun’s family received a prison admission notice from the Shandong Province Men’s Prison in late July 2023 and were shocked to learn that he had been sentenced to three years on July 18, 2023. The local procuratorate and court did not notify them of his indictment, trial, or sentencing.
Mr. Ma, of Weifang City, Shandong Province, was arrested at home around 6:30 a.m. on April 20, 2023, for practicing his faith, Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
The arresting officers from the Fangzi District Domestic Security Office and the Nanliu Police Station never notified his family where he was detained. His loved ones didn’t learn of his whereabouts until they received the prison admission notice.
Prior to his latest arrest, the police targeted Mr. Ma for his faith multiple times. Officers from the Nanliu Police Station first arrested him on April 5, 2022 after they saw him talk to people about Falun Gong. They raided his home and kept him at the police station for two days, during which time they cuffed his hands behind his back and beat him savagely.
Mr. Ma was released on April 6, 2022, only to be summoned to the police station five days later. The police planned to fine him 1,000 yuan and detain him for 12 days, but changed their minds due to a local COVID outbreak.
On July 8, 2022, four agents from the Fangzi District Domestic Security Office and the Nanliu Police Station arrested Mr. Ma at home and took him to the Jiangjia Brainwashing Center. He was held there for seven days before he was transferred to the Weifang City Lockup. After he was detained for an additional 12 days, he was released on July 27, 2022.
The police arrested him again on April 20, 2023, resulting in his prison sentence.