(Minghui.org) A total of 61 cases of Falun Gong practitioners sentenced to prison for their faith were confirmed in March 2025.

The newly-confirmed cases included one that took place in 2019, 2020 and 2021 each, two in 2023, 12 in 2024, 35 in 2025, and 9 cases with unknown occurrence years. With ever stricter information censorship under the Chinese Communist Party, many details about the practitioners’ indictments, trials, and sentences were difficult (if not impossible) to collect, which caused further delays in reporting.

The sentenced Falun Gong practitioners are from 17 provinces or centrally-controlled municipalities. Liaoning Province reported most cases of 12, followed by 10 cases in Jilin, and 7 in Shandong. The remaining 14 regions had between 1 and 4 cases each.

The practitioners’ prison terms ranged from six months to eight years, with an average of three years and one month. Sixteen practitioners were fined a total of 395,000 yuan, averaging 24,687.5 yuan per person.

One practitioner from Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, was sentenced to 4.5 years and fined 6,000 yuan on March 14, 2025. During her arrest, the police also seized 195,000 yuan of her savings, including 115,000 yuan in cash and two certificates of deposit, of 50,000 yuan and 30,000 yuan.

Seventy percent of the sentenced practitioners (43) had known ages at the time of sentencing, including two practitioners in their 40s, 14 in their 50s, 13 in their 60s, 11 in their 70s, and 3 in their 80s. The oldest was an 85-year-old woman, who was sentenced to one year. An 80-year-old woman was sentenced to five years. The average term for practitioners in their 70s was three years and seven months.

Some practitioners were targeted for raising awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong, including a Jilin resident who was sentenced to 4.5 years for sending information on her cellphone, and a 72-year-old woman who got two years for distributing informational materials.

In another case in Heilongjiang Province, the police produced photos and videos of a woman distributing Falun Gong materials, and ordered Ms. Zhao Lanying to admit that she was the woman. While there was nothing wrong with passing out Falun Gong flyers, Ms. Zhao did not do what the police alleged she did, and she firmly denied the allegations. The local court still sentenced her to 3.5 years on February 20, 2025.

As the persecution enters the 26th year in 2025, many practitioners have been repeatedly targeted for upholding their faith. A 69-year-old Yunnan resident was given her fifth prison term following her latest arrest in June 2024. She previously spent 14 years behind bars, and her third term came only 44 days after she finished the second term.

A 61-year-old woman in Beijing was arrested in June 2024, only two months after her husband died in the persecution. She was sentenced to one year in March 2025, after serving two prison terms totaling eleven years and four months.

The following are details of select sentencing cases. The full list of sentenced practitioners can be downloaded here (PDF).

Life in Danger

51-Year-Old Man in Critical Condition Serving a One-Year Term

Just days after Mr. Lei Yangfan’s family finally confirmed his prison sentence after he went missing for ten months, they were devastated to learn that he is now in critical condition.

Mr. Lei Yangfan

Mr. Lei, a 51-year-old Changsha City, Hunan Province resident, didn’t return home on May 14, 2024. His wife, Ms. Tang Min, knew right away that he must have been arrested again for their shared faith in Falun Gong. She approached various government agencies, but no one told her what happened to her husband. It wasn’t until late June 2024 that she confirmed his arrest by the Dingwangtai Police Station.

Ms. Tang tried to deposit some money into Mr. Lei’s commissary account in late December 2024, but saw an error message on her phone saying “connection failed.” She later went to the detention center and was told that her husband was no longer there. The guards there refused to reveal where he had been taken.

Ms. Tang finally confirmed in early March 2025 that her husband had been sentenced to one year on September 25, 2024. She received a notice from the Wangling Prison on March 9, 2025 that he had been admitted to the prison on December 24, 2024 and transferred to the Tenth Division on January 17, 2025.

A prison guard surnamed Deng called Ms. Lei’s family on the evening of March 23, 2025, and said that Mr. Lei had fluid accumulation in his lungs and brain. He had been taken to the Liling Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital at around 9 a.m. that day, admitted to the intensive care unit at around 7 p.m., and issued a critical condition notice. Deng urged the family to visit Mr. Lei at the hospital the next day.

The family rushed to the hospital the next afternoon, where they found Mr. Lei in a coma. He had no response when they called his name. He was emaciated and disfigured. Many officers, some in police uniform and some in plainclothes, were present in the room. The family wasn’t allowed to bring their cellphones into the room, nor were they allowed to touch Mr. Lei.

After only a few minutes, the police ordered the family to leave. They said that they were also giving them special permission to visit him. When the family asked Mr. Lei’s doctor about his condition before leaving, the doctor said he was already doing much better.

Mr. Lei’s family demanded that the police release him. The police asked them to wait until further notice.

Prior to his latest sentencing, Mr. Lei had been repeatedly arrested, harassed, and detained in brainwashing centers over the years of persecution. He served two labor camp terms for a total of four years, during which time he was almost tortured to death. When he was incarcerated, Mr. Lei’s elderly parents struggled to take care of his daughter and mentally disabled sister.

Hebei Woman Made to Stand Trial Despite Serious Health Conditions, Sentenced to Two Years

Ms. Shi Rui from Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, was sentenced to two years and fined 10,000 yuan for practicing Falun Gong in late March 2025.

Ms. Shi was arrested as soon as she arrived at work at 9 a.m. on April 17, 2024. The police shut off the power to her company before the arrest, in order to disable the surveillance system.

The police arrested Ms. Shi and raided her home.

After raiding Ms. Shi’s home, the police took her to the Cangzhou City Detention Center. Twice a day, she was forced to remove all her clothes and be searched. She began to suffer a persistent high fever in late January 2025, and her arms and legs swelled up. The skin on her legs turned dark after she stood for a little while.

Judge Fu Rao of the Yunhe District Court informed Ms. Shi on February 22, 2025, that she was scheduled to appear in court in three days. She said that given her current health condition, she was unfit to stand trial. Fu told her, “We’ve determined the date and we must hold the hearing on that day. You have to come even if you arrive in an ambulance.”

The judge held the hearing as scheduled. Ms. Shi appeared to be very weak. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea for her. She was able to testify in her own defense.

Judge Fu informed Ms. Shi’s lawyer on March 25, 2025 that she was sentenced to two years and fined 10,000 yuan.

Sentencing of Elderly Practitioners

Previously Jailed for Nine Years, 72-Year-Old Woman Sentenced Again to Eight Years

Ms. Meng Qingjie, a 72-year-old retired elementary school teacher in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, was recently sentenced to eight years in prison, and fined 50,000 yuan, for practicing Falun Gong.

Ms. Meng was arrested at home at around 7 a.m. on July 12, 2024. She was held at the Shenyang City First Detention Center, and a formal arrest warrant was issued on August 16. The Dadong District Court heard her case on February 27, 2025, and sentenced her on March 26.

Prior to her latest sentencing, Ms. Meng had been repeatedly targeted during the past 26 years for upholding her faith. She was incarcerated for a total of nine years, and in 2018 her pension was suspended.

80-Year-Old Tianjin Woman Sentenced to 5 Years

Ms. Wang Kuilan, an 80-year-old resident in Tianjin, was sentenced to five years in January 2025. She was reported on August 8, 2023 for talking to people about Falun Gong. The police raided her home the next day and confiscated her Falun Gong books, informational materials, computer, and 4,000 yuan in cash. They returned on August 10, arrested her, and took her to the Wuqing District Police Department. She was released on a one-year bail pending trial.

Ms. Wang was later taken back into custody at an unknown time. She was sentenced to a five-year prison term by the Wuqing District Court in January 2025. The court-appointed lawyer notified her family on February 26, 2025 to visit her at the Tianjin Women’s Prison (located in Xiqing District). Only then did her family learn about her wrongful conviction and prison admission.

Ms. Wang’s family soon visited her and saw that she was having difficulty walking. She asked them to bring her a wheelchair. Before her arrest, she was very healthy and energetic.

Two Elderly Jilin Women Sentenced to Prison

Ms. Pan Shuxian, 73, and Ms. Miao Yawen, 70, both of Changchun City, Jilin Province, were each sentenced to two years and eight months, as confirmed by the Minghui.org website in March 2025. They have been admitted to the Jilin Province Women’s Prison and their pension accounts have also been frozen.

The two women went grocery shopping together at 7 p.m. on August 6, 2024, but didn’t return home that night. Four hours later, their respective homes were raided. The police confiscated a total of 15,000 yuan in cash and some Falun Gong informational materials.

Ms. Miao’s and Ms. Pan’s families received text messages from the Qinghe Police Station on August 8 confirming their loved ones’ criminal detention at the Changchun City Detention Center. They asked the police why they arrested two elderly ladies who were simply buying groceries. The police replied that Ms. Miao and Ms. Pan were reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. They threatened to give them heavy sentences.

The police indeed submitted both women’s cases to the Chaoyang City Procuratorate, which indicted them and forwarded the cases to the Chaoyang District Court. It is unclear when judge Zhang Naifu sentenced the two women to prison.

Couple in Their 60s Sentenced to Prison—Both Repeatedly Detained Before

A married couple in Taian City, Shandong Province was sentenced to prison for their shared faith in Falun Gong, their family learned on March 19, 2025.

Ms. Zhang Guilian, 62, received a seven-year prison sentence, and her husband, Mr. Qin Zhenquan, 63, was given three years. When their family consulted their lawyer about the details of their sentencing, the latter was shocked, as he hadn’t received any notification about the ruling by the trial court.

The couple’s wrongful convictions stemmed from their arrest on August 1, 2024. A group of officers from the Beijipo Police Station had broken into the couple’s home that day and arrested Ms. Zhang.

When Mr. Qin returned from work later that day, he noted a police cruiser outside his home. He thought nothing of it, and just knocked on the door as usual. An officer opened the door and cuffed his hands, very tightly.

The police continued their raid of the couple’s home, confiscating 2,000 yuan in cash, two bank cards, social security cards, two tricycles, three electric bicycles, a computer, and a printer.

The couple was then taken to the Beijipo Police Station. The police tightened Mr. Qin’s handcuffs even more, causing his wrists to bleed. They next collected his and his wife’s biometrics before interrogating them. Mr. Qin did not say anything during the questioning.

Throughout the arrests, home raid, and interrogation, the police didn’t produce their IDs or a search warrant.

Officer Yu Zhili interrogated Mr. Qin the next day, but he still refused to answer questions. He and his wife were transferred to the Taian City Detention Center that night. Their family was not given any further updates after that. They only learned of their prison sentences from an insider on March 19, 2025.

Prior to their latest persecution, Ms. Zhang had served two forced labor terms and one prison sentence, totaling six years, and Mr. Qin had served a three-year term of forced labor. After another arrest in 2008, he managed to escape and went into hiding. He didn’t return home until 2014 when his son got married. Three officers harassed the couple on July 26, 2024. They took photos of Mr. Qin and questioned where he worked.

Fabricated Prosecution Evidence

83-Year-Old Man with Brain Atrophy Tricked into Signing Statement to Incriminate His Daughter-in-Law

Two residents of Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province, were wrongfully convicted on February 11, 2025. Ms. Gao Jing, 60, was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 50,000 yuan. Ms. Fu Guiqin, 74, received two years and ten months with a 100,000-yuan fine.

The two women were both arrested on February 8, 2024, two days before the Chinese New Year. Ms. Fu’s computer, laptop, and other personal belongings were confiscated.

The police took both practitioners to the Harbin City Second Detention Center. During the required physical examination, Ms. Fu was found to have a systolic blood pressure reading of 180 mmHg (normal range is 120 or lower). She was also struggling to walk on her own. The doctor warned the police that Ms. Fu was not fit for detention. Captain Liu Zhanming of the Yilan County Police Department dug out an old surveillance video showing Ms. Fu walking briskly, and used that to persuade the detention center to accepting her.

Ms. Fu’s health further deteriorated while in detention, and she was released on bail in late April 2024.

The Yilan County Procuratorate twice returned the cases against Ms. Fu and Ms. Gao, citing insufficient evidence. Captain Liu tricked Ms. Gao’s father-in-law, Mr. Wang Fuyou, into signing statements incriminating her. Mr. Wang, 83, had been diagnosed with brain atrophy, and once went missing, as he didn’t remember the way home. Liu also coerced Ms. Gao’s husband, son, and 83-year-old mother-in-law to provide “testimony” against her. Liu further fabricated some evidence in the name of Ms. Gao’s family members. With the “additional” evidence, he got the procuratorate to accept the cases the third time.

Ms. Fu and Ms. Gao appeared in the Yilan County Court on December 17, 2024. Ms. Fu suddenly fainted and was rushed to the hospital. After she came to, she was returned to the courtroom. During the trial, she was sometimes lucid and sometimes confused. As she couldn’t answer the judge’s questions, he had to halt the hearing.

Ms. Gao’s family noted that she was handcuffed and shackled. Her hair had all turned gray, and she had lost most of her teeth. She also appeared emaciated.

During the second hearing (date unknown), the judge read aloud Ms. Gao’s husband’s “testimony” against her. Her husband swore that he had never said anything like that. The judge instructed the bailiffs to remove him from the courtroom. Only then did he and the rest of his family realize that they had been tricked by captain Liu into providing testimony against Ms. Gao without their knowledge.

Ms. Gao and Ms. Fu were then convicted on February 11, 2025.

Once Jailed for 5 Years, 58-Year-Old Liaoning Engineer Gets Another 4.5 Years

Mr. Zhang Huiqiang, a 58-year-old resident of Fushun City, Liaoning Province, was recently sentenced to four and a half years in prison for his faith in Falun Gong.

Mr. Zhang, who once worked as an engineer at the Fushun Ethylene Chemical Factory, was arrested on October 21, 2024. The Dadong District Court tried him in the Dadong District Detention Center on March 6, 2025. Prosecutor Yang Yuqiu alleged that he broke the law by “distributing calendars with Falun Gong messages at a cell phone repair shop and a coffee shop, as well as spending paper currency with Falun Gong messages printed on the bills.”

Mr. Zhang argued that since no law in China deems Falun Gong a crime, he did not violate any law. Presiding judge Zhu Lina interrupted him repeatedly.

Prosecutor Yang claimed that a man named Su Bin “witnessed” the police raid Mr. Zhang’s home. His lawyer replied that he watched the police cam video in its entirety and did not see anyone named Su Bin in it. By law, police raids must be witnessed by an independent, third party. If it is not, the items confiscated cannot be used as evidence to charge the suspect.

Judge Zhu, however, insisted that there was a Su Bin in the police video and that she saw a photo of Su Bin in the police-supplied evidence.

Mr. Zhang’s daughter, who served as his non-lawyer defender, testified against the police for extorting confessions from her mother.

On the day of Mr. Zhang’s arrest, October 21, 2024, his wife noticed that the police had ripped off every page of a calendar with information about Falun Gong and claimed that each page was a separate piece of “evidence.” When she condemned them for fabricating evidence against her husband, they threatened to arrest her. They also seized several blank flash drives and ripped off an old decoration with the word “Fu” (“good fortune” in Chinese) on it.

The police didn’t allow Mr. Zhang’s wife to verify the confiscated items, nor did they issue her a list of the items as required by law. They took her to the Dongzhou Police Station, where officer Yu Bing asked where she and her husband got the calendar. She said she didn’t know because she did not bring it home. Yu responded, “If it wasn’t you, then it was your husband.” Before she realized they were trying to get her to incriminate her husband, Yu and another officer ordered her to sign the interrogation record. When they did not let her read it, she hesitated until they threatened to target her daughter. Under pressure, she signed her name.

Mr. Zhang’s daughter argued that the “testimonies provided” by her mother against her father were thus inadmissible, especially given that her mother had written to prosecutor Yang and judge Zhu two days before the trial to nullify what she was forced to say during her interrogation.

Mr. Zhang’s daughter also pointed out that the cell phone repair shop did not identify her father from the store’s surveillance videos until December 9, 2024, yet the police had already spelled out Mr. Zhang’s name in their case receipt, dated December 7, 2024, given to the shop as the person who distributed the calendars. Although she demanded her father’s acquittal, he was sentenced to a four-and-a-half year prison term.

Related Reports:

Reported in February 2025: 68 Falun Gong Practitioners Sentenced for Their Faith

Reported in January 2025: 97 Falun Gong Practitioners Sentenced for Their Faith