(Minghui.org) Five seniors in Taiyuan City were sentenced to prison between 2014 and 2016 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline persecuted in China since 1999. Mr. Ji Delian (74), Ms. Liu Lala (76), and Mr. Li Xifu (76) appealed in 2016 and the intermediate court upheld the original sentence. Ms. Li Guipu's (75) appeal is currently with the intermediate court. It's unclear whether Ms. Yang Suxian (73) has filed an appeal at this point.

1. Mr. Li Xifu was arrested in 2015. He was tried in Jinyuan District Court and sentenced to three years in 2016. His appeal was turned down by Taiyuan City Intermediate Court later that year.

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Mr. Li was moved to Jinzhong Prison since January 16, 2017. When his family visited him in March, he claimed that the guards have beaten him twice.

At the end of March, Mr. Li's family hired two lawyers and requested to meet with him, but was turned away by the prison authorities. When they finally met in June, Mr. Li's wrists had scars and fresh wounds from wearing handcuffs. Mr. Li said that he wanted to file a complaint against the illegal prosecution and torture, but the prison authorities have repeatedly denied his rights.

In May, Mr. Li's family brought the complaint to the prison for him to sign. The prison authorities claimed that they couldn't file a complaint without higher level approvals. When the family tried to get approval, they were sent from department to department.

2. Mr. Ji Delian was arrested in May 2014 and sentenced to three years by Wanbolin District Court. In his appeal in May 2016, the Intermediate Court upheld the original sentence. Mr. Ji was forced to leave home to avoid imprisonment.

When Mr. Ji tried to renew his ID in June this year at a local police station, the police arrested him. He is currently incarcerated in Geliao Detention Center in Taiyuan City.

3. Ms. Liu Lala was arrested in July 2015. The Jiancaoping District Court sentenced her to three years. Her appeal was turned down in March 2016.

4. Ms. Li Guipu was arrested in August 2016 when she told others about the persecution. She was sentenced to three years in November 2016 and has filed an appeal with the Intermediate Court.

5. Ms. Yang Suxian was arrested in June 2016 for giving a Falun Gong flier to a police officer. She is now incarcerated in Shanxi Woman's Prison, though she has not been given a formal prison sentence.

Related article in Chinese:76岁李锡福在晋中监狱被殴打