(Minghui.org) Five residents of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, were arrested at a private home on February 15, 2023 for their shared faith in Falun Gong, and one of them has been sentenced to prison at the time of writing.
Falun Gong is a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Guan Zhiyong, 42, was hosting four guests, including Ms. Cai Baoju, 61, Ms. Liu Guiqin, 62, Ms. Shi Shumei, 78, and Ms. Chu (first name unknown), 84, at around 1:30 p.m. on February 15, 2023, when four police cruisers pulled up. The police broke in and yelled, “Freeze! No talking!” They ordered Mr. Guan to cooperate with them and said they were from the Yingchengzi Police Station in Hunnan District, Shenyang City.
Mr. Guan lives in Sujiatun District and it’s unclear why the Yingchengzi Police Station in Hunnan District was involved. One possible reason was that the police may have targeted one of his guests, Ms. Cai, a resident of Hunnan District, who was recently sentenced to five years in prison.
More Details of the Arrests
Mr. Guan argued that he broke no law, and the police twisted his arms behind his back and cuffed his hands. He demanded to know if they had a search warrant, and one officer flashed something that looked like an ID card without allowing him to see what it was.
The police confiscated Mr. Guan’s cash, bankbooks, computer, and many other valuables. His four guests had their house keys snatched from them.
The five practitioners were taken to the Yingchengzi Police Station and interrogated separately. The police searched them and took their pictures and fingerprints.
Ms. Shi later said that the police questioned her about where she worked before she retired and who introduced her to Falun Gong and gave her Falun Gong books to read, among many other things. The police also showed her two photos and asked if she knew the practitioners in the photos. She said no.
Ms. Cai refused to cooperate with the search. The police held her down and cut open her clothes with a pair of scissors. Her bra was cut off as a result. The police forcibly collected her blood sample as well.
The police took the four female practitioners to their respective homes. It became clear to the practitioners that the police knew their home addresses and phone numbers. The police confiscated Ms. Liu’s computer, Falun Gong books, and music player; Ms. Cai’s computer and other valuables; Ms. Shi’s Falun Gong book and music player.
Ms. Shi and Ms. Chu were released at around 11 p.m. that night. Ms. Liu and Ms. Cai were released on March 18 and put under residential surveillance. Mr. Guan remained at the Hunnan District Detention Center.
Ms. Cai Sentenced to Prison
The Hunnan District Police Department took Ms. Cai back into custody on March 23. She was later sentenced to five years and fined 10,000 yuan by the Economic Development Zone Court in Shenyang City. Other details of her prosecution remain to be investigated. She is currently held at Shenyang City First Detention Center.
The Hunnan District Procuratorate returned Mr. Guan’s case to the Yingchengzi Police Station, but the police refused to release him. He was a physician at a local orthopedic hospital, but lost his job after he was previously sentenced to one year in prison for his faith.
It’s unclear whether Mr. Guan and Ms. Liu have been tried for their faith yet.
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