(Minghui.org) Three women in Maoming City, Guangdong Province, were sentenced to prison on August 29, 2025, for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.

Ms. Li Guoyuan, 56, was given four years. Ms. Qu Fen, 76, received two years and eight months. Ms. Xie Liping was sentenced to two and a half years with an 8,000-yuan fine. Ms. Li has filed an appeal.

Ms. Qu was arrested at around 9 p.m. on May 11, 2023, while she and her husband, Mr. Feng Yueming, were hosting a study session of Falun Gong’s teachings. Over a dozen arresting officers from the Dianbai District Police Department and the Shuidong Police Station seized the couple and their three guests, Ms. Deng Mei, Ms. Li Meifang, and Ms. Ke Xueling.

The police next arrested Ms. Li Guoyuan and Ms. Xie at their respective homes. The two were not at Ms. Qu’s home that night, but the police said they knew the pair often visited Ms. Qu to study Falun Gong’s teachings together.

Ms. Deng, Ms. Li Meifang, and Ms. Ke were released from the Dianbai District Lockup 15 days later when the police did not find any Falun Gong materials in their homes. Mr. Feng was released on bail due to poor health. Ms. Qu, Ms. Li Guoyuan, and Ms. Xie remained in the Maoming City First Detention Center.

The three were issued formal arrest warrants on June 17 and indicted by prosector Cai Linhui of the Maonan District Procuratorate on September 13, 2023.

Mr. Feng’s prosecution was halted by the Maonan District Court on December 5, 2023, due to his health issues.

Ms. Qu, Ms. Li Guoyuan, and Ms. Xie were tried in the Maonan District Court on June 11 2025. Only Ms. Xie had a lawyer. The other two practitioners’ families did not dare to hire lawyers for them after being threatened by the police and local street committees.

Ms. Xie’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf. He emphasized that it was his client’s constitutional right to possess Falun Gong books and materials as no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong.

Presiding judge Tan Wei sentenced the three practitioners on August 29, 2025. Judges Ke Xuejun and Chen Lei, clerk Gong Yanfen, and prosecutor Cai also signed the rulings.

All three convicted practitioners had been persecuted before for their faith. Ms. Li, born in June 1969, was repeatedly harassed. Ms. Qu, born in July 1949, took up Falun Gong with her husband in 1998. The couple were repeatedly harassed in recent years. The police also monitored any practitioners who visited them.

Ms. Xie, born in March 1947, was illiterate but learned to read after she took up Falun Gong in 1999. She can now read all the Falun Gong books. She was arrested on October 18, 2012, for distributing Falun Gong informational materials. She was held in the Hexi Brainwashing Center for an unknown amount of time. While talking to people about Falun Gong in Naxing Village on July 28, 2016, she was arrested again and taken to the Chencun Town Police Station. After another arrest on February 11, 2019, she was given seven days of administrative detention.