(Minghui.org) Five residents of Zhaodong City, Heilongjiang Province were reported for talking to people about Falun Gong on July 16, 2019. Ms. Yan Zhiqiu had a seizure when the police arrived and wasn't arrested on the spot, but the other four practitioners – Ms. Li Yali, Ms. Zhang Guorong and her mother, and Mr. Yang Xuewen – are still held in custody at the time of writing.

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

The police returned to Ms. Yan's home on the afternoon of July 17 to look for her. She had already left home to avoid being arrested. The police later returned several times to harass her family.

At the same time, Ms. Li, Ms. Zhang, and Ms. Zhang's mother were transferred to a detention facility in Anda City and Mr. Yang was taken to the Zhaodong City Detention Center.

Both Ms. Zhang's mother and Mr. Yang are in their 60s.

Officers from the Wuzhan Town Police Station also ransacked Ms. Li's home on the afternoon of July 17 and confiscated her Falun Gong books and related materials.

The officers harassed Ms. Li's family again on July 21 and handed them her administrative detention notice. On the same day, the police ransacked the homes of Mr. Yang and Ms. Zhang when no one was home, leaving every room in terrible dissaray.

The families of the four practitioners are calling on the international community to help secure their loved ones' release.