(Minghui.org) A 53-year-old woman in Baoding City, Hebei Province, was sentenced to three years and ten months on October 20, 2026, because she practices Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Tang Ronghua was arrested at home on March 20, 2026, by officers from the Qingyuan District Police Department, the Ranzhuang Town Police Station, and the Lizhuang Township Police Station. Her husband, who does not practice Falun Gong, was also arrested. He was released on bail on April 22.
Ms. Tang was sent to the Baoding City Detention Center and had her case submitted to the Gaoyang County Procuratorate. Gaoyang is under the administration of Baoding City.
The Gaoyang County Court heard Ms. Tang’s case on September 15 and sentenced her to three years and ten months on October 20.
Ms. Tang took up Falun Gong in 1997 and recovered from her migraine, back pain, and severe hemorrhoids. Her bad temper improved and she no longer fought with her husband. She became a calmer and more considerate person.
After the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, Ms. Tang held firm to her faith and was repeatedly targeted. She was arrested in July 2001, when she was two-months pregnant. Nearly 30 other arrested practitioners were also held in the same room in the local village government building. They had to sit all day long, even at night.
Ms. Tang almost had a mental collapse during her detention. She was eventually released 20 days later after being forced to pay 3,000 yuan.
Chief Cai Xuefeng of the Lizhuang Township Police Station led his officers and broke into Ms. Tang’s home on July 14, 2008. When he saw a calendar which had information about Falun Gong, he swore at her, kicked her, and slapped her face. Her ears bled as a result. The same chief Cai was also present during her latest arrest.
Cai and his officers carried Ms. Tang to their cruiser and threatened to kill her. They detained her for one day but did not give her anything to eat. They extorted 400 yuan from her before releasing her on July 15, 2008.
Ms. Tang and two other practitioners, including Ms. Geng Hongyan and Ms. Ma Junqiao, were arrested on July 16, 2016, after a village official named Wang Chengshe reported them for talking to people about Falun Gong in his village. Officer Wang Yonggang sent the three women to the Wangdu County Detention Center. They were released on July 27, 2016.