(Minghui.org) A 75-year-old Chongqing woman is set to stand trial on June 26, 2026, for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Zou Hualan was arrested on March 6, 2026, and issued a formal arrest warrant by the Changshou District Procuratorate on March 18. Her case was then transferred to the Liangjiang New District Procuratorate. Prosecutor Zhang Shiyang indicted Ms. Zou and recommended a prison sentence of 2-3 years. The Liangjiang New District Court scheduled a hearing for June 26.
Prior to this latest persecution episode, Ms. Zhou, a retired employee of the Changshou Agricultural Machinery Company, was incarcerated for nearly 11 years. She served three forced labor terms totaling five years and two months (July 1999 – March 2001; November 2001 – November 2003; and August 2006 – February 2008), as well as two prison terms totaling five years (July 2017 – July 2019; and November 2019 – November 2022). Additionally, she was held at a local detention center from September 2012 to May 2013.
Details of Latest Arrest
Ms. Zou was arrested at a bus station on March 6, 2026, after local community vice secretary Yang Guoqiang reported her for talking to him about Falun Gong. Officers from the Gelan Town Police Station searched her but did not find any Falun Gong informational materials. They reported the case to the Changshou District Domestic Security Office.
The latter police agency raided Ms. Zou’s home at 1 a.m. on March 7. They did not find Falun Gong materials. To prosecute her, they pored over surveillance footage and identified three clips showing Ms. Zou talking to people. They claimed that she was promoting Falun Gong and submitted her case to the Changshou District Procuratorate.
The procuratorate issued a formal arrest warrant for Ms. Zou on March 18, and likely has transferred the case to the Liangjiang New District Procuratorate, one of the local procuratorates designated to handle Falun Gong cases.
Several lawyers expressed their willingness to represent Ms. Zou when approached by her family. Those not hired encouraged her family to reach out if they ran into any legal questions. One of them called her sons to express his admiration for Ms. Zou because she is upholding her faith and has done nothing illegal.
The lawyer eventually hired to represent Ms. Zou met with her at the local detention center. He told her family that she had a smile on her face and remained calm during the nearly two-hour visit.
Related Reports:
69-year-old Woman Faces Prison Time Again After 6.5 Years of Incarceration for Her Faith
Ms. Zou from Chongqing Sent Back to Prison for Talking to People about Falun Dafa
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