(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 12 cities or counties in 7 provinces, where at least 33 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.

1. [Beijing] Sixteen Practitioners Arrested
2. [Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Yao Jiaxiu Arrested
3. [Li County, Hebei Province] Mr. Zhao Jiuzhou Arrested
4. [Liaoyang County, Liaoning Province] Mr. Xu Zengchen Arrested
5. [Liaocheng City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhang Qiuyu Harassed
6. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Ms. Hao Shuping and Hu Ruifu Arrested
7. [Baoding City, Hebei Province] Practitioner Zhang Aiguo Arrested
8. [Taicang City, Jiangsu Province] Mr. Wang Jian Held in Detention Center
9. [Nancheng County, Jiangxi Province] Six Practitioners Arrested
10. [Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province] Ms. Zheng Shuqin Detained
11. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Mr. Yu Kaixin Held in Prison
12. [Huadian City, Jilin Province] Ms. Yu’s Home Ransacked

1. [Beijing] Sixteen Practitioners Arrested

Approximately 16 practitioners were arrested on September 23, 2024. Among the arrested were Ms. Xi Ping, Ms. Yang Xiulan, Mr. Hao Xiufeng, Ms. Zhang Xiuhua, Ms. Wang Chaoying and her husband Mr. Guo Zhenfang, Ms. Wu Fangling and her husband Mr. Wang Jianmin, Ms. Zhang Yan (also known as Zhang Chunfeng) and her two sisters, Ms. Zhang Xiulan, Ms. Liang Fenglian, Ms. Liu Yuling, Ms. Zhang Yanrong and Ms. Wu Zhenye. Both Mr. Guo and Mr. Wang don’t practice Falun Gong.

Seven of the female practitioners, including Ms. Xi, Ms. Zhang Xiuhua, Ms. Wang, Ms. Wu, Ms. Liang, Ms. Zhang Yan, and Ms. Liu, have been released.

2. [Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Yao Jiaxiu Arrested

Ms. Yao Jiaxiu, in her 50s, was arrested in her rental place by officers from the Jiangyang District Police Department in Luzhou City on September 20, 2024. She is being held in a detention center in Luzhou City. Prior to her arrest, the police put her on the wanted list online and she was forced to move from her home in Panzhihua to Luzhou to hide from the police.

In the past 25 years, Ms. Yao had been sentenced to prison and forced labor several times for practicing Falun Dafa. She was tortured when serving prison or forced labor terms. She was often forced to live away from home to avoid the persecution.

3. [Li County, Hebei Province] Mr. Zhao Jiuzhou Arrested

Mr. Zhao Jiuzhou, a resident in Nanguan Village, Li County who lived on his own, went missing on September 23, 2024. According to eyewitnesses, he was taken away by officers from the Chengguan Police Station.

4. [Liaoyang County, Liaoning Province] Mr. Xu Zengchen Arrested

Mr. Xu Zengchen, 75, from Wangjia Village, Longchang Town, was arrested on August 30, 2024, by officers from the Bahui Police Station, for distributing Falun Gong materials. He is currently held in the Liaoyang County Detention Center.

In the past 25 years, Mr. Xu was repeatedly arrested and sentenced for practicing Falun Gong. His right eye has become blind. He cannot keep his upper body straight and tilts his body when walking.

Following an arrest in 2001, Mr. Xu was given an unknown term at the Liaoyang City Forced Labor Camp. He was forced to watch propaganda materials slandering Falun Gong, deprived of sleep, and forced to work without pay. The guards also denied his restroom use. One day, with the strong urge to defecate, he went to the restroom, only to be beaten by the prison guard Wu Yanjing. He fell to the ground and knocked his front teeth, which bled and became loose.

Mr. Xu was arrested again on December 8, 2013, by the Longchang Town Police Station officers for talking to people about Falun Gong. He was sentenced to four years in prison. While in Shenyang Prison Complex, he was held in solitary confinement and lost consciousness due to the torture. 

5. [Liaocheng City, Shandong Province] Ms. Zhang Qiuyu Harassed

Officers from Jiangguantun Police Station in Liaocheng Development Zone went to Ms. Zhang Qiuyu’s home on June 20, 2024. They took her to a detention center for a physical examination. She failed the examination and the detention center refused to admit her. The police interrogated Ms. Zhang in the detention center and asked her where the Falun Gong materials came from. Ms. Zhang refused to cooperate and went home that day.

6. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Ms. Hao Shuping and Hu Ruifu Arrested

Ms. Hao Shuping and Hu Ruifu from Fengrun District were arrested by officers from Wangdianzi Police Station, while they were talking to people about Falun Gong on the morning of September 25, 2024, at Wangdianzi Town farmers market, Luanzhou District. 

7. [Baoding City, Hebei Province] Zhang Aiguo Arrested

Zhang Aiguo was arrested at home in Quyang County at noon on September 24, 2024. Details about Zhang’s case aren’t clear.

8. [Taicang City, Jiangsu Province] Mr. Wang Jian Held in Detention Center

Mr. Wang Jian was arrested at home by the Taicang City Police Department officers on August 11, 2024. His arrest was approved on September 14. He is being held in the Taicang City Detention Center.

Prior to his latest arrest, Mr. Wang has been incarcerated for nearly 11 years for practicing Falun Gong, including serving a labor camp term of 3 years and two prison terms of 4 and 4.5 years. 

9. [Nancheng County, Jiangxi Province] Six Practitioners Arrested

Officers from the Nancheng County Domestic Security Division, police stations, and neighborhood committees arrested Ms. Ao Guiying, Ms. Rao Xiaomei, Ms. Huang Wanqin, and Ms. Zhu Yalan at about 6 a.m. on August 22, 2024. They ransacked the practitioners’ homes and confiscated more than 200 Falun Gong books, cell phones, MP3 players, and photos of the founder of Falun Gong. They then forcibly took the four practitioners to a hospital for physical examinations.

A day later, the police arrested Ms. Guan Shui’e, searched her home, and forcibly conducted a physical examination on her. They also confiscated Falun Gong books and photos of the founder of Falun Gong from the home of a practitioner, Ms. Yao Aiying, who is still held in custody following an earlier arrest on June 9, 2024. 

The police later took Ms. Ao, Ms. Huang, Ms. Zhu, and Ms. Guan to a detention center and interrogated them until 11 p.m. on August 23. Ms. Rao was held in the detention center for 15 days before being released.

10. [Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province] Ms. Zheng Shuqin Detained

Ms. Zheng Shuqin, 62, was reported to the police for talking to people about Falun Gong at the Wuxiaopu Market on August 30. The police followed her and raided her home. After being held at the Gongzhuling City Lockup for 15 days, she was transferred to the Gongzhuling City Detention Center, for refusing to renounce Falun Gong.

Ms. Zheng was arrested another time in July 2023 and detained for 10 days.

11. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Mr. Yu Kaixin Held in Prison

Mr. Yu Kaixin from Wenjiang District was arrested on September 13, 2021. He was later sentenced to five and a half years in prison and admitted to the fourth division of Jiazhou Prison in March 2023. He is currently held in the second division.

13. [Huadian City, Jilin Province] Ms. Yu’s Home Ransacked

Three officers from the Qixin Police Station broke into Ms. Yu’s home on the morning of September 4, 2024, and deceived the elderly woman into going with them to the police station. They ransacked her place when no one was home. At the police station, the officers asked Ms. Yu where she got her Falun Gong books and who gave her the paper bills with Falun Gong information printed on them, as well as other informational materials confiscated from her home. She remained silent and was released that afternoon.

After Ms. Yu returned home, she confirmed the following items had been confiscated: 40 Falun Gong books, a Falun Gong exercise tape, an audio player, three pendants, a seal, several stickers, a small amount of small-denomination paper bills with Falun Gong information printed on them, and a phone book.