(Minghui.org) At least 17 Jiaohe City, Jilin Province, residents are incarcerated because they practice Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999.

Ms. Wang Xiulian, a 67-year-old retired worker, was initially arrested on October 27, 2023, and released on bail the next evening due to her poor health. She went into hiding to avoid persecution, only to be arrested in July 2025 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which is over 2,000 miles away from Jiaohe. She was sentenced to three and a half years by the Shulan City Court in late November 2025 and is currently held at the Jilin City Detention Center. Both Jiaohe and Shulan are under the jurisdiction of Jilin City.

Ms. Wang Yanhua, in her 50s, was arrested in October 2023 during a police sweep. She was sentenced to six years by the Shulan City Court in 2024 and is currently serving time at the Jilin Province Women’s Prison.

Mr. Yuan Enzhu, a 76-year-old retired worker, and his wife, Ms. Zhang Shuqin, 55, were also arrested in October 2023 during the police sweep. Ms. Zhang was sentenced to three years and two months on July 29, 2024, and was sent to the Jilin Province Women’s Prison. Mr. Yuan received the same prison term on August 6, 2024, and is currently jailed at the Jilin Province Second Prison.

Ms. Jiang Kaiying, a hair salon owner in her 60s; Ms. Zhang Chuanmei, also known as Ms. Zhang Chunmei; and Mr. Wang Aiguo, in his 60s, were three more victims of the police sweep in October 2023. They were all sentenced to three years by the Shulan City Court in 2024. Ms. Jiang and Ms. Zhang are currently serving time at the Jilin Province Women’s Prison. It’s not clear where Mr. Wang is detained.

Mr. Wang Zhiwen, a retired worker in his 70s, was arrested at home on July 22, 2022. The police turned off the water supply and seized him when he came out to check on it. He was sentenced to three years by the Shulan City Court in 2024.

Ms. Lu Guifang, around 76, was sentenced to three years by the Shulan City Court on July 27, 2024. She is serving time at the Jilin Province Women’s Prison.

Mr. Wang Kemin, and his wife, Ms. Wang Fengzhi, who are both in their 70s and are farmers, were arrested on August 15, 2019, along with five other members of their extended family. Both of them were sentenced to seven years and fined 3,000 yuan by the Lishu County Court on February 26, 2021. Ms. Wang is currently serving time at the Jilin Province Women’s Prison. Mr. Wang’s detention location isn’t clear.

Ms. Zhu Minglan, a 57-year-old farmer; Ms. Liu Jialan, a 56-year-old farmer; Ms. Shan Fulian, a 58-year-old farmer; and Ms. Wu Junqin, a farmer, were arrested together on the evening of April 13, 2020, after being reported for distributing Falun Gong materials. They were sentenced to prison by the Shulan City Court on February 19, 2022: Ms. Zhu was sentenced to five years, Ms. Liu to five and a half years, Ms. Shan to 7seven years, and Ms. Wu to four and a half years. All of them are now serving time at the Jilin Province Women’s Prison.

Ms. Zhao Hongyan, 70, and a retired worker of Liujiadian Forestry, was arrested on September 14, 2021, for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was taken to the Jilin City Detention Center the next day. The police forced her family to pay 1,000 yuan for her physical exam and didn’t give them a receipt. Her arrest was approved 12 days later. She later developed a severe heart condition in the detention center and was released on bail. In early July 2022, an officer from the Minzhu District Police Station came to her home and told her that she had been sentenced to three years. It’s not clear whether a trial ever took place. She is currently jailed at the Jilin Province Women’s Prison.

Mr. Wu Dexiu, a 63-year-old farmer, was arrested on May 13, 2022. His younger brother received a notice from the Shulan City Court on February 9, 2023, saying that Mr. Wu was sentenced to four years and fined 5,000 yuan. The notice did not indicate when he was indicted, tried, or sentenced. He is currently serving time at the Gongzhuling Prison.