(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 21 cities or counties in 13 provinces, where at least 49 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.
Ms. Chen Shunying was tried on September 18, 2020. The court did not pronounce judgment.
Mr. Li Xingjun and his wife Ms. Sun Jiangyi were tried by the Jingzhou District Court on September 21. They were handcuffed during the trial. Their attorney rebutted everything the prosecutor presented and made sound defense of their innocence. The court did not pronounce judgment.
Mr. Zhang Jingzhou and Mr. Shao Lian were tried in court on the afternoon of September 21. The court did not pronounce judgment.
Mr. Li, in his 50s, from the Xuhui District was arrested in July 2020.
Many practitioners are incarcerated in the Jilin Province Women’s Prison, including Ms. Cong Nan, Ms. Shao Jingzhi, Ms. Che Pingping, Ms. Geng Jiqiu, Ms. Niu Yuhui, Ms. Yang Hongyan, Ms. Xiang Lijie, Ms. Li Chong, Ms. Zhang Zhongmei, and Ms. Dang Yanhua.
Mr. Li Binzhi, in his late 70s, was harassed at home by several officers. They tried to get him to sign and put his fingerprints on a guarantee statement to renounce Falun Gong. When he refused, the officers grabbed his hand and forcibly took his fingerprints.
Ms. Lu, Ms. Zhang, and Ms. Hu, all in their 70s, were harassed at home by Zhenglan Banner police and agents from the community. They tried to get the practitioners to write, sign, and put their fingerprints on a guarantee statement to renounce Falun Gong. They did not comply.
Ms. Liao Mingxiang, 75, was harassed at home by village Party secretary Luo and deputy secretary Yang Tingying on July 30, 2020. They ordered her to go to the village office and sign a guarantee statement to renounce Falun Gong. She didn't go. Officers from the Mengyang Town Police Station went to her home on August 16 and took pictures of her against her will.
Yang Tingying took Ms. Liao’s daughter Ms. Huang Xingcui and her son-in-law Mr. Yang Wenshu to Ms. Liao's home on August 17. Yang Tingying ordered Ms. Huang to sign the guarantee statement on behalf of her mother. Yang Wenshu grabbed Ms. Liao's hand and forcibly put her fingerprint on the statement. Ms. Liao shouted, “My cancer disappeared after I started practicing Falun Gong. Why do you treat me this way?!”
Ms. Liu Darong was arrested on September 26, 2020, for talking to people about the persecution of Falun Gong at a market. She was taken to the Guangming Police Station.
The Rongcheng City Police Department ordered agents from the communities to visit practitioners on their list on September 17, 2020. Agents and building coordinators visited practitioners’ homes in groups of two to three. They tried to force the practitioners to sign guarantee statements renouncing Falun Gong.
The agents threatened the practitioners saying that their children’s future job prospects would be at risk if they didn't sign. Ms. Huang Xiao, Ms. Sheng Hanqiu, Ms. Yao Shuqin, Ms. Jiang Huiling, and Ms. Tang Huaying were among those harassed.
Ms. Wang Huilan was charged by the Xuanwu District Domestic Security Division. Her case was returned to the police station due to insufficient evidence.
Ms. Ji Guizhen was tried by the Wujiang Court on August 11, 2020. The court did not pronounce judgment. A week later, Ms. Ji was notified that the court had canceled her case.
Ms. Zhang Ruilian’s husband received a harassing phone call from the town's mayor, Dong Xiuguo, on September 24, 2020. Dong ordered Ms. Zhang to sign the three statements. Ms. Zhang refused.
Ms. Zhou Shuru was arrested by officers from the Jing County Domestic Security Division at 9:00 p.m. on September 16, 2020. She is being held in the Hengshui Detention Center.
Mr. Han Shunxing was sentenced to two years in prison. He has appealed. The Luoyang City Intermediate Court is now holding a closed hearing for the case.
Practitioner Ding, gender unknown, from Oumiao Town was arrested on September 24, 2020, for distributing Falun Gong fliers.
Ms. Tang Shufang’s husband received a harassing phone call from agents from the Huishi Town Community in April 2020. Her neighbor received a harassing call in July. The caller asked for the phone number of Ms. Tang’s son. Agents from the community harassed Ms. Tang’s husband on the phone on August 18.
Ms. Zhang Xueping received a call from the Jiaochang community on August 18. The caller stated that personnel from the Gansu Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the Baiyin City Political and Legal Affairs Committee were coming to Huining City, and asked Ms. Zhang to cooperate with them. She refused.
Mr. Liu Haixue was harassed at home by agents from the Baichaoyuan Township government on September 24. They wanted to know the whereabouts of his wife Ms. Chen Shumei, and claimed that they would report to senior authorities if he wouldn't tell them. Ms. Chen Shumei's sister, Ms. Chen Shulan, who doesn’t practice Falun Gong, was repeatedly harassed at home by agents from the Huining County Political and Legal Affairs Committee and officers from the Sifang Police Station and the Sifang Judiciary between July and August 2020. They demanded that she admit to practicing Falun Gong, even though she doesn’t.
Ms. Pan Yanchun from Dalian City is due to be tried in Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on October 7, 2020.
Ms. He Yongqin was arrested by officers from the Anbo Police Station on July 11, 2020. She is being held in the Yaojia Detention Center. Guards at the detention center tried to forced her to write a guarantee statement to renounce Falun Gong, but she refused.
Ms. Yao Fengyun was deceived into thinking that officers from the Huanggu Domestic Security Division were plumbers when they knocked on her door on July 7, 2020, and said there was a water leak. When she opened the door, they looked around her home and then left.
Ms. Yao was arrested at home a week later on the evening of July 15. Officers confiscated her notebook computer, U-drive, several Falun Gong books and keepsakes. She was taken to the Huanghe Police Station.
Ms. Yao’s family was later told that she was being held in the Shenyang City No. 2 Detention Center and that they should take clothes for her. The family went to the detention center, but were not allowed to see her or deposit any money for her. Ms. Yao was transferred to the Shenyang No. 1 Detention Center on September 3. Her family was told to deposit money for her.
Ms. Hu Mingsu, 66, was harassed at home by community Party secretary Hu Juan on September 5, 2020. She is being forced to attend brainwashing sessions from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. everyday in the community brainwashing center.
Ms. Li Yuqiong was harassed at home by officers from the Nanping Police Station and agents from the Nanping East Road Community in August 2020. They started taking photographs as soon as they entered her home. The officers tried to force her to sign and put her fingerprints on the repentance statement. Instead, Ms. Li continued to tell them the truth about Falun Gong.
She was harassed at home by five agents from the Nanping East Road Community on September 15. They took photos of Ms. Li, and some of them slandered Falun Gong’s founder. Ms. Li stopped them and told them the truth about Falun Gong.
Ms. Li’s eldest son received a harassing phone call from the police station. The caller ordered him to go to the station and sign a statement, but he refused. The officer then called Ms. Li’s younger son to help them. He also refused.
Ms. Li Zeming was harassed at home on September 25. Community Party secretary Xie Guangqiang from Shimo School, community officer Tang Rong, and agent Luo Jiangwen from the town government stayed at her home for three hours, trying to coerce her into writing the three statements. Ms. Li refused. They threatened her husband that their daughter’s job and grandchild’s education could be affected. Her husband gave in unwilling.
Ms. Zhao Ying was harassed at home by officers from the Xinjiang Police Station on September 22, 2020. The officers tore up the couplet on her door.
Ms. Qiu Yuanxiang and her sister Ms. Qiu Renying were arrested separately in Xingning City by officers from the Longchuan County Police Department on September 8, 2020. They are being held in the Longchuan Detention Center.
The sisters were previously arrested and sent to a forced labor camp on July 22, 2008.
Ms. Qin Lianyu was tried by the Zhenhai District Court on September 24, 2020, and sentenced to three years in prison with a 6,000 yuan fine.
Ms. Qin was previously arrested in a police sweep on April 18, 2019, and was held in the Ningbo City Detention Center.
Mr. Gao Mantang was arrested on June 11, 2018, after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. He was taken to the Zhouzhi County Detention Center, and his family was not allowed to visit him.
Mr. Gao was later sentenced to 2.5 years in Weinan Prison. He is being held in the 16th ward, and has become paralyzed in his lower body. He can only move around in a wheelchair. He is also emaciated.