(Minghui.org) The Weihai City Intermediate Court in Shandong Province ruled on March 26, 2026, to uphold the 4.5-year prison sentence of a local woman for her faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Tian Xianyan, a senior engineer at the Weihai City Hydrological Bureau, was arrested on July 16, 2025, after a delivery driver reported her for talking to him about Falun Gong. She was issued a formal arrest warrant on August 21, 2025. Prosecutor Zhang Luo from the Rongcheng City Procuratorate indicted her at an unknown time. Rongcheng is under the administration of Weihai.
Ms. Tian appeared in the Rongcheng City Court twice (exact dates unknown) before being sentenced to four and a half years with a 20,000-yuan fine on January 22, 2026.
Minutes after announcing the conviction at the sentencing hearing, judge Wang Dongmei gave Ms. Tian a printed verdict form, which usually would not be ready so soon because it requires verification and official stamps to become legally binding. Ms. Tian suspects her sentencing had been decided long before her trial. She filed an appeal with the Weihai City Intermediate Court.
Ms. Tian accused the lower court of violating legal procedures. During her trial, prosecutor Zhang did not present the alleged evidence against her, yet judge Wang still convicted her. The intermediate court refused to order a retrial because Ms. Tian “failed to raise objections to the lower court’s minor flaws in handling her case.” It ruled against her on March 26, 2026.
Ms. Tian may still be held at the Weihai City Detention Center at the time of writing.
Senior Engineer Sentenced to 4.5 Years for Talking to a Delivery Driver About Falun Gong