(Minghui.org) A 67-year-old man in Jilin City, Jilin Province, has been sentenced to six years for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Li Dequan was arrested in the spring of 2024. Minghui.org recently confirmed his prison sentence and admission to the Gongzhuling Prison. But details about his arrest, indictment, trial, sentencing, and prison transfer are unknown.
Mr. Li Dequan (right) and his brother, Mr. Li Dexiang
How Practicing Falun Gong Changed the Brothers’ Lives
Mr. Li Dequan used to be in poor health. He was very skinny due to a stomach problem from excessive drinking. He also had pain in his legs and back and was unable to work. He had a negative and pessimistic attitude, and played mahjong, smoked, and drank every day. His wife and son took care of all the housework, but he mistreated them when his bad temper flared up. His wife didn’t see a future for them and asked for a divorce.
His younger brother, Mr. Li Dexiang, had a serious car accident in 1998. He became blind in one eye, and his legs were fractured. The family had financial difficulties after this accident, and he lost the will to move on.
The brothers went to see a fortuneteller after Mr. Li Dexiang was discharged from the hospital. The fortuneteller looked at them and said, “You are kindhearted people. I have read the book Zhuan Falun, and you should take a look at it.” They followed the fortuneteller’s suggestion and got the book. Mr. Li Dequan started to read it as soon as he got home and finished reading it within two days, even though his reading ability was limited to only having attended elementary school for two years.
Mr. Li Dequan quit smoking, drinking, and playing mahjong the first day after he had read Zhuan Falun. He had a smile on his face again and became healthier day by day so that he could work in the field. He began respecting his wife and caring for his son. His neighbors and relatives were amazed by the positive changes within his family. Whenever the changes were brought up, he said with tears in his eyes that Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, had saved his family and himself.
The younger brother also experienced physical and mental changes after he started practicing Falun Gong. Both brothers moved to Jilin City and started a small business.
Past Persecution
After the persecution started in July 1999, the brothers remained firm in their faith and were repeatedly targeted. Mr. Li Dequan was given two prison terms totaling ten years prior to his latest sentencing, and Mr. Li Dexiang served two four-year prison terms.
Brothers’ First Prison Sentences
Mr. Li Dequan was arrested at home on the evening of April 24, 2008, by officers from the Xinhua Police Station. The police claimed that they were investigating a murder case. They snatched his home keys from his son and broke in.
At the same time, another group of police officers tricked Mr. Li Dexiang into opening the door by claiming that they were from the water company to check on his meter. Mr. Li, his wife, and son were all taken to the police station.
The police raided both brothers’ homes and confiscated their computers, laptops, printers, DVD burners, blank discs, TVs, and satellite dishes.
Mr. Li Dexiang’s wife and son were released later that evening, but the two brothers were held at the Jilin City Detention Center and denied visits with their families.
Mr. Li Dequan was later sentenced to three years at the Gongzhuling Prison, and Mr. Li Dexiang was given four years at the Shiling Prison. They endured brutal torture for not renouncing Falun Gong and were forced to work without pay. Mr. Li Dequan was once held in solitary confinement, hung up by the wrists, and forced to wear heavy shackles; the guards repeatedly shocked him with electric batons.
While the brothers were jailed, their wives faced tremendous pressure to care for their children and provide for the family.
The police, 610 Office agents, and community workers continued to harass the brothers after they were released.
Brothers’ Second Prison Sentences
On October 17, 2013, less than two years after Mr. Li Dexiang was released, the brothers were arrested again and also held at the Jilin City Detention Center. When Mr. Li Dexiang’s wife returned home in the evening after his arrest, she was restrained by several tall men and taken to the Xinhua Police Station. She was detained overnight with the charge of “disrupting social order.” The police threatened to give her labor camp terms if she also practiced Falun Gong.
Both brothers appeared in the Changyi District Court on September 11, 2015. The judge didn’t inform their lawyers or families of the trial. Mr. Li Dexiang was given another four-year prison term, and Mr. Li Dequan was sentenced to seven years. They appealed to the Jilin City Intermediate Court, but lost the case.
Mr. Li Dequan was taken to the Jilin Province Second Prison in March 2016. Mr. Li Dexiang served time at the Gongzhuling Prison.
In the spring of 2024, only a few months after Mr. Li Dequan was released, he was arrested again after the police tracked his location through his cell phone. He was secretly sentenced to another six-year term and is currently serving time at the Gongzhuling Prison.
Related Reports:
Jilin City Police Assault Falun Gong Practitioners’ Relatives
Defense Attorney Applies for Li Dequan’s Release after His Detention Is Illegally Extended
Brothers Arrested for Persisting in Their Belief in Falun Gong
Court Officials in Jilin City Attempt to Prevent Attorneys from Representing Local Practitioners
Courts Restrict Human Rights Lawyers’ Access to Falun Gong Cases
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