(Minghui.org) A Yingkou City, Liaoning Province resident was sentenced to 3.5 years with a 10,000-yuan fine in late October 2024 for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Liu Xu was arrested on March 29, 2024. She was at work at around 9:30 a.m. that day when the police broke into her home and forced her son to call her to return home. She hurried back, only to see the police raiding her home. They confiscated her Falun Gong books, a laptop, cash, and other personal valuables. The raid lasted until 4 p.m. She was admitted to the Yingkou City Detention Center that evening.

Ms. Liu appeared in the Zhanqian District Court on August 27, 2024. Her lawyer defended her constitutional right to freedom of belief and emphasized that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. He also produced documents attesting to the fact that it was lawful to own Falun Gong publications. The presiding judge looked at the documents but did not say anything. Ms. Liu also testified in her own defense and recounted how she benefited both physically and spiritually from practicing Falun Gong.

The judge sentenced Ms. Liu in late October 2024. She has appealed with the Yingkou City Intermediate Court. She is still held at the Yingkou City Detention Center at the time of writing.

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