(Minghui.org) Since the Chinese Communist Party began to persecute Falun Gong in 1999, the authorities have arrested untold numbers of Falun Gong practitioners across the country and ransacked their homes. In the small county of Mengyin in Shandong Province alone, at least 200 practitioners have been sentenced in the past two plus decades, with the longest term being 14 years.
To date, nine Falun Gong practitioners in Mengyin County are still being held in custody and separated from their loved ones. Eight of them are serving prison sentences ranging from 1.5 to 8 years. The other practitioner is awaiting a verdict. Below are the details of their cases.
Mr. Liu Nailun, 54, from Xijiepai Village, Jiepai Town, was an assistant accountant with the Mengyin County Production Materials Company. Over the past two decades, he was repeatedly arrested and given a labor camp term and three prison sentences totaling 18.5 years. He was fired from his job and his wife divorced him.
On September 7, 2018, Mr. Liu was arrested for distributing Falun Gong materials. His rental apartment was ransacked and his personal belongings were confiscated. He was secretly transferred to Lanling County Detention Center in September 2019 and later sentenced to eight years by Lanshan District Court. He was taken to Shandong Province Prison in November 2019.
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Mr. Lei Yanzeng from Ankou Village, Taoxu Town, was arrested on December 17, 2020, along with two other practitioners, Mr. Liu Chirong and Mr. Huang Zhili. Mr. Liu was released the next day due to health issues. Mr. Lei’s home was ransacked and his personal belongings, including a tricycle, more than a dozen desk calendars, and two computers, were confiscated. He was later sentenced to three years and is now in Shandong Province Prison.
Mr. Huang Zhili, 50, from Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, used to work at the technical department of a gypsum board factory and won a “10 Under 30” award. He recovered from Hepatitis B after practicing Falun Gong. After the persecution started, Mr. Huang was detained many times. He was sentenced to three years in Wuxi Prison in Jiangsu Province in April 2007 and was tortured. While he was serving time, his wife returned to her own parents’ home in Mengyin with their 8-year-old son. Mr. Huang also moved there after he was released.
On December 18, 2020, Mr. Huang was arrested at his rental apartment in Mengyin. The police confiscated the 170,000 yuan in cash he had prepared to buy a home and refused to return it. His son and parents-in-law, Mr. Yi Tingxu and Ms. Xue Shunfang, 77, were also arrested and briefly detained. He was later sentenced to three years and is now in Shandong Province Prison.
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Mr. Xu Zhidong, also known as Xu Jie and a resident of Beimozhuang Village, Jiuzhai Town, was arrested in June 2021 with his wife. The cash they had at home, their Falun Gong books, and other personal belongings were confiscated. Mr. Xu was later sentenced to four years and admitted to Shandong Province Prison. His wife was released on bail due to health issues, but she couldn’t afford any medical care.
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Mr. Cao Changqi, 76, from Caozhuang Village, was arrested on May 31, 2021. At the time of his arrest, two other practitioners who lived in the same village, Mr. Wang Huanxia and Ms. Zhang Xiuping, were harassed. Mr. Cao was first held at the Yinan County Detention Center and then transferred to the Mengyin County Detention Center. He was later sentenced to four years and taken to Shandong Province Prison.
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76-year-old Man Sentenced to Four Years
Mr. Zhang Zhifeng, 76, from Taibaozhuang Village was arrested at home on June 22, 2022. The Yinan County Court tried him in secret days later, without notifying his family. He is now in the Mengyin County Detention Center.
Mr. Ji Yongcheng from Xidoushan Village was arrested on September 26, 2020, for distributing Falun Gong materials. He was released and placed on residential surveillance after a day of detention. The police harassed him twice afterwards.
The police arrested Mr. Ji again on February 15, 2022, and took him to the Mengyin County Detention Center two days later. He was then transferred to the Hedong District Detention Center. His family confirmed in late September that the Lanshan District Court sentenced him to 1.5 years in prison.
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Ms. Sun Yujiao of Dongrulai Village was arrested at home on June 10, 2021. Eight days later, her father, Mr. Sun Pinjin, was arrested in the early evening while still at work. His family was informed the next day that he had died. The family suspected foul play.
Ms. Sun was taken to Linyi Detention Center and later sentenced to seven years. She was transferred to Shandong Women’s Prison. Her mother, Ms. Yu Zaihua, died on August 19, 2015, after being destitute for 11 years. She was 47.
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Mr. Song Shubao from the Dingjiazhuang area in Daigu Town lived in poverty with his elderly parents. He was arrested twice for refusing to renounce his faith. The police extorted funds from him, causing further financial problems for his family. His parents were always worried about his safety.
In 2022, Mr. Song was arrested and sentenced to three years. He has been taken to Shandong Province Prison.