(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhang Xiufang, 63, from Dongfeng County, Jilin Province, was recently sentenced to seven years for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Zhang a former nurse, was arrested at her home on June 21, 2024, after the police discovered that she mailed letters containing information about Falun Gong. They confiscated two computers and some Falun Gong books. She was detained at the Liaoyuan City Detention Center. She was later indicted by the Longshan District Procuratorate. It was confirmed in early December 2024 that she was sentenced to seven years by the Longshan District Court. She has appealed the verdict.
This is the second time Ms. Zhang has been sentenced for her faith. She was previously arrested on May 28, 2009 after she was reported for distributing Falun Gong materials. She was held at the Dongfeng County Detention Center and sentenced to three years by the Dongfeng County Court on September 8, 2009. She was admitted to the Jilin Province Women’s Prison on October 13, 2009.
For filing a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party who ordered the persecution of Falun Gong, Ms. Zhang was arrested again on October 30, 2015 and detained for two weeks.
The Longshan District Court that convicted Ms. Zhang has been involved in the persecution of local Falun Gong practitioners for the past two decades. At least ten practitioners have been sentenced by the court in the past five years.
On April 16, 2024, the court sentenced Ms. Gu Jiumei, 53, and Ms. Liang Guijuan, 47, each to seven years and Ms. Zhang Shufen, 62, to three years. The three practitioners were arrested on October 17, 2023 and tried on March 26, 2024.
Ms. Shang Shuqin was arrested on February 29, 2020m for distributing Falun Gong materials. She was released on bail that evening but was taken back into custody and admitted to the Liaoyuan City Detention Center on March 25, 2021, following her indictment. She was sentenced to two years on April 26, 2021.
Three other practitioners, Ms. Yin Lanhua, Mr. Yue Changyou, and Ms. Ji Fengxia were sentenced to four, two and one year, respectively, on November 9, 2020. They were also fined 20,000 yuan, 10,000 yuan, and 5,000 yuan, respectively.
Ms. Wu Fengzhen, then 75, was arrested on July 3, 2019, for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to three and a half years in November 2019 and admitted to the Jilin Province Women’s Prison.
Ms. Sun Shiduo and Ms. Zhang Shufen were arrested on June 5, 2019 and sentenced to one year and one and a half years, respectively, on October 17, 2019.
Dongfeng County, Jilin Province: Seven Practitioners Arrested in One Day, Three Still Detained