(Minghui.org) The Minghui.org website recently received updates on several practitioners in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, who were targeted ahead of the Chinese communist regime’s annual summer summit held in their city.
A Recap of the Case
Three women in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, were targeted for supporting another woman facing prosecution for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Liang Jun, Ms. Hong Yanrong, and Ms. Yu Shuyun accompanied 78-year-old Ms. Ni Guiyun to the Beidaihe District Police Department on June 26, 2023, to turn in letters and information urging the police not to prosecute Ms. Ni for her faith.
Ms. Liang, Ms. Hong, and Ms. Yu were harassed shortly after they returned home. Ms. Liang and Ms. Hong were arrested on July 14, 2023, and remain in detention as of today. Ms. Yu avoided being arrested because she was not home when the police came. A fifth practitioner, Ms. Gong Junmei, was arrested while visiting Ms. Liang when the police were still searching Ms. Liang’s home. Ms. Gong was released later in the evening due to her poor health.
According to insiders, the authorities targeted Ms. Liang, Ms. Hong, and Ms. Yu because they feared that Falun Gong practitioners were banding together to raise awareness of the persecution ahead of the annual Beidaihe Meeting (also known as the communist regime’s summer summit) to be held in the Beidaihe District in early August. It is common practice for the regime to intensify persecution of Falun Gong practitioners before major political meetings, such as this summer summit or around anniversaries related to Falun Gong.
Below are recently received updates.
Ms. Liang Jun
Ms. Liang of the Haigang District in Qinhuangdao City was talking to people about Falun Gong at around 8 a.m. on July 14, 2023, when she was spotted by a plainclothes officer. The officer called in two carloads of officers. They handcuffed her and took her to a local police station. A woman officer slapped Ms. Liang on the face three times. A male officer twisted her arms so hard that they were badly bruised.
The police also towed away Ms. Liang’s car and confiscated her Falun Gong literature and 3,000 yuan in cash.
At noon that day, the Haigang District Police Department broke into her home with the key they’d taken from her. Her daughter, a college student on summer break, was the only one at home. The police confiscated two laptops, Falun Gong books, and informational materials. They produced a list of confiscated items and had a staffer at the property management office sign the document instead of Ms. Liang’s daughter.
Ms. Liang was taken to a police hospital. When her daughter visited her, the college student noted a policewoman was very rude so she said to the officer, “Ma’am, please do not treat my mother like that. She is a good person.” The officer then changed her attitude and left the hospital room. The few male officers there also left.
Ms. Liang asked her daughter to hire a lawyer for her. Her daughter soon found a lawyer. The lawyer visited Ms. Liang and reported that she was in good spirits.
Ms. Liang is being held at the Qinhuangdao Detention Center.
Ms. Ni Guiyun
Ms. Ni was arrested on September 9, 2022, and released under house arrest hours later.
The Funing District Court scheduled a hearing of Ms. Ni’s case for 9 a.m. on July 28, 2023, but didn’t notify her lawyer. When Ms. Ni didn’t appear on time, judge Shi Wenjing called her at 11 a.m. that day and asked, “Why didn’t you show up in court? We’ve appointed a lawyer to represent you.”
Ms. Ni said she would not use the court-appointed lawyer (who was instructed to enter a guilty plea for her). She reminded Shi that her lawyer had submitted all the required documents to represent her long before. Shi flew into a rage and yelled over the phone, “We’ll deal with you in other ways since you refused to attend your hearing!” She then hung up.
Ms. Ni called Shi back and say, “Why did you hang up without giving me a chance to respond? You’ve violated the law by failing to notify my lawyer. I will not attend any hearing unless my lawyer is there to defend me.”
Ms. Gong Junmei
Ms. Gong Junmei was arrested at around 1 p.m. on July 14, 2023, when she went to visit Ms. Liang. The police were still there raiding Ms. Liang’s home so they arrested Ms. Gong as well. They took her to the Haigang District Police Department and later raided her home, too. They confiscated her Falun Gong books and informational materials, music player, and other personal items. She was released at around 10 p.m. that night due to health reasons.
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