(Minghui.org) A Chongqing resident was recently sentenced to 4.5 years for practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Zhong Rong, 54, was arrested in late February 2022, while visiting her cousin Ms. Ao Chunxia. Ms. Ao’s Falun Gong books, photo of Falun Gong’s founder, exercise music player and computer were confiscated.

Ms. Ao, who suffers from rheumatism-induced mobility problems, and her caregiver were also arrested. While they were released after one day of interrogation, Ms. Zhong remained in custody and was sentenced to prison in March 2023.

This is the second time that Ms. Zhong has been sentenced. She was previously arrested on March 28, 2014 after being reported for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. The police submitted her case to the Fengjie County Procuratorate 15 days later. She stood trial at the Fengjie County Court on September 19, 2014 and was sentenced to 3.5 years in March 2015. Her appeal was rejected.