(Minghui.org) Authorities in Shenzhen, a major city in southern China, recently sentenced three members of the same family who practice Falun Gong to prison.
The individuals sentenced on January 9, 2017, were Mr. Miao Jialiang, his 73-year-old mother, and his cousin. Mr. Miao was sentenced to seven years, his mother to three years, and his cousin to eight years.
Mr. Miao has appealed his sentence.
Mr. Miao's wife was also arrested when the police took the family into custody but was released for medical reasons.
The first arrest happened on December 11, 2015. The police captured Mr. He Xianren, Mr. Miao's cousin, when he was distributing materials with information about Falun Gong and the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of it.
They then went to Mr. Miao's home that afternoon and videotaped the place without a warrant. They arrested Mr. Miao, his wife, and his mother and confiscated their computer laptop, printer, Falun Gong books, wallet, cash, and identification cards.
Mr. Miao's wife, Ms. Xu Qin, was released seven days later, after she was diagnosed with uremia. The other three were detained at the Longgang District Detention Center.
The other three were arrested were tried the Longgang District Court on September 21, 2016.
Mr. Miao's wife tried to attend the trial, but she was stopped outside the courthouse and taken to a police station. She was not released until the trial was over.
The police also arrested other Falun Gong practitioners who wanted to sit in on the trial and released them in the afternoon.
The police have yet to return any personal property that they confiscated from Mr. Miao's home.
