(Minghui.org) It was recently learned that three employees of a tapestry factory in Weihai City, Shandong Province had been sentenced to prison for their faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
The three were among the 11 employees of the factory who were arrested on July 20, 2022. Ms. Tian Lisha, whose late brother founded the factory, was sentenced to nine years. Her brother’s widow, Ms. Li Shuhong, was sentenced to two years. The factory accountant, Ms. Liu Mingming, who had been on bail since August 29, 2022, was sentenced to nine months. Ms. Li and Ms. Tian are likely still held at the Wendeng Detention Center. It is unclear when Ms. Liu may be taken back into custody to serve time.
Six other factory workers were also tried together with Ms. Li, Ms. Tian, and Ms. Liu on August 24, 2023 for practicing Falun Gong. They included Ms. Qu Aiping, Mr. Zhang Yingming, Ms. Xu Changqing, Mr. Cong Xu, Ms. Lian Qingling, and Mr. Jiang Changmin. Their case status remains to be investigated.
Ms. Li’s daughter, Ms. Tian Tian, and another employee whose name is unknown were also arrested in the police sweep. They were released within two days and cleared of prosecution. It is unclear whether they practiced Falun Gong.
Details of Arrests and Trial
Ms. Li’s husband, Mr. Tian Shihong, founder of the tapestry factory, died in November 2019 after suffering years of persecution at the age of 64. Ms. Li and their daughter took over the business after Mr. Tian’s passing, with the former serving as the legal representative (every business in China is required to appoint a legal representative to act on behalf of the company) and the latter being the operations manager.
Over 200 officers were dispatched to raid the factory on July 20, 2022. Many structures in the factory were vandalized. The police also put up banners slandering Falun Gong everywhere in the factory. Each worker was interrogated by two officers. Some of the female workers cried in fear.
Among the eleven employees arrested that day, one whose name wasn’t known was released after 12 hours and Ms. Tian Tian was freed after 48 hours. The other nine arrested employees all had their residences ransacked and their Falun Gong items, computers, and printers confiscated.
While the police allowed Ms. Tian to keep running the factory after her release, they stayed there for at least six days, during which time they questioned workers at will and severely disrupted the business' operation. Because accountant Ms. Liu’s computer was confiscated, Ms. Tian was unable to pay her workers (who also lived on the factory campus) or deposit money into their meal accounts. She had to record everyone’s meal purchase in the factory cafeteria for them to reimburse later.
Ms. Tian Lisha, Ms. Li, Ms. Qu, and Mr. Zhang were put under criminal detention and had their arrests approved on August 28, 2022. Ms. Tian, Ms. Li, and Ms. Qu were taken to the Wendeng Detention Center. Mr. Zhang was taken to the Weihai Detention Center.
The other five practitioners were released on August 29 on bail and had their bail conditions approved on November 29, 2022.
The Rongcheng City Procuratorate indicted the nine practitioners on December 28, 2022. They appeared in Rongcheng City Court on August 24, 2023. Ms. Tian refuted the allegations against her, and other practitioners also testified in their own defense. The presiding judge kept interrupting and threatening them. He sentenced Ms. Tian, Ms. Li, and Ms. Liu at an unknown date.
Related Reports:
Nine Employees of a Tapestry Factory Stand Trial for Their Shared Faith in Falun Gong
Nine Employees of a Tapestry Factory Face Trial for Their Shared Faith in Falun Gong
Tapestry Factory Manager Dies After Years of Persecution for His Faith
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