(Minghui.org) Three Bayan County, Heilongjiang Province residents in their 70s were sentenced to 7 to 9 years in prison in February 2019 for not renouncing their faith in Falun Gong.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Fan Shufen, 70, and Ms. Wu Guizhi, 73, were sentenced to seven and eight years in Heilongjiang Province Women's Prison.

Mr. Zhang Hongzhu, 72, was given nine years in Hulan Prison.

Ms. Wu and Ms. Fan were arrested on September 28, 2017, at Ms. Wu's home. Both of them were sent to the Harbin No.1 Detention Center.

Mr. Zhang, a retired hospital employee, was arrested on October 8, 2017, after he was tricked to go to the social security office to collect his fingerprints. The police ransacked his home and uninstalled his satellite dish that was used to receive uncensored news from overseas media. He was sent to Bayan County Detention Center.

All three practitioners appeared in Yilan Court on July 19, 2018.

Mr. Zhang was transferred to Yilan Detention Center, while Ms. Fan was taken to Yaziquan Detention Center after the hearing. Ms. Wu was released on bail.