(Minghui.org) Four residents of Kaiyuan City, Yunnan Province, were sentenced to prison for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.

Ms. Zhang Hongying and Ms. Na Shengqiong were arrested on November 1, 2023, and had their homes raided. The Jianshui County Court later sentenced them both to one year in prison (exactly when they were sentenced is unknown). It’s also unclear where they are currently held.

Mr. Jiang Changde and Ms. Wan Jiayu had their homes raided on January 2, 2024. They were released on bail. The same Jianshui County Court heard their joint case on April 27, 2024, and convicted them later (exactly when they were sentenced is unknown). Mr. Jiang was sentenced to one and a half years and Ms. Wan received three years. Officers Yang Yunlong and Liu Yingtong from the Kaiyuan City Police Department took Mr. Jiang and Ms. Wan back into custody on June 27, 2024. They are currently held in the Caoba Detention Center.

Past Persecution of the Three Female Practitioners

Ms. Wan was twice held in brainwashing centers, in 2001 and 2002.

Ms. Zhang was previously sentenced to three years and fined 5,000-yuan by the Kaiyuan City Court on December 14, 2017.

Ms. Wan and Ms. Na were arrested on May 19, 2011, while passing through Wangmo County, Guizhou Province. They were held for more than 40 days. During their detention, officers Wang Fengshu and Zhang from the Wangmo County Police Department traveled to Kaiyuan City on May 26, 2011 to raid the two women’s homes. They were accompanied by officers Zhang Zulin and Zhong Dapan from the Kaiyuan City Police Department. The police forced the practitioners’ family members to sign their criminal detention notices.