(Minghui.org) Two Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, residents were sentenced to prison on February 20, 2024 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Li Jing was sentenced to 4.5 years and fined 10,000 yuan. Ms. Li Xianghong (no relation) was given 4 years, and fined 10,000 yuan. Both practitioners are appealing the verdicts.
Both women were arrested on September 30, 2022 after the Qian County Domestic Security Office officers saw on surveillance cameras that they distributed information about Falun Gong in Qian County (which borders Liquan County). Ms. Li Jing was arrested at her home and Ms. Li Xianghong was seized at her clothing store.
Judge Wang Zhihui of the Qindu District Court convicted the two practitioners on February 20, 2024. Two other judges, Wang Heyi and Lou Jing, as well as judges’ assistants Tu Liang and Qin Chuan, and court clerk Kou Yanyan also signed the verdicts. The two practitioners were held at the Qindu District Detention Center after their arrests. It’s not clear whether they were transferred to prison at the time of this report.
Ms. Li Jing’s Past Persecution
Ms. Li Jing was previously arrested on December 21, 2017 for distributing Falun Gong materials in nearby Zhashui County. She was sentenced to 16 months by the Zhashui County Court in July 2018.
Ms. Li was arrested again on April 15, 2020. After she was interrogated for more than seven hours at the Liquan County Domestic Security Office, she suddenly had difficulty breathing and her limbs were cold. After she was resuscitated at a hospital and her condition stabilized, the police took her to have a COVID-19 test and a physical examination the next day. They were attempting to get her admitted to the local detention center. Ms. Li suffered another episode of the same condition hours later. The police had to release her. They forced her to pay a 4,000-yuan fine and ordered her husband to promise to keep her at home and not report how she was persecuted to Minghui.org.
Ms. Li Xianghong’s Past Persecution
Ms. Li Xianghong was previously arrested on the evening of June 26, 2016 for distributing information about Falun Gong. She held a hunger strike while being held at the Liquan County Lockup and was released on June 30 that year.
Ms. Li was harassed at home by five officers of the Liquan County Police Department on August 4, 2020. Two of her Falun Gong books were confiscated. A resident who lived in her village said the police asked him about Ms. Li’s address. When he said he didn’t know in an effort to protect her, the police reprimanded him.
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