(Minghui.org) A retired music teacher in her 60s was sentenced to four years and fined 5,000 yuan on September 11, 2020 for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Yu Shaoping, of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, was arrested on May 14, 2019 and was detained at Pi County Detention Center. She was tried by the Dayi County Court. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea for her. The judge announced the verdict at the end of the trial. It’s not clear whether she has been sent to the prison.
Ms. Yu’s husband also practices Falun Gong. He had been previously sentenced twice and held in a brainwashing center for upholding his faith. While in custody, he was subjected to relentless torture and developed high blood pressure as a result. His health kept declining after he was released, and he suffered a stroke on July 2, 2015. He lost mobility in his left hand and feet, and had relied on Ms. Yu for his care the past few years, Ms. Yu's latest arrest put him in a dire situation.
This isn’t the first time that Ms. Yu has been persecuted for her faith, which she credits for curing her many ailments, including liver and stomach conditions, as well as long term dizziness and insomnia.
Ms. Yu was arrested on March 9, 2009 while shopping in a mall. She was sent to the notorious Xinjin Brainwashing Center after 15 days of detention at the police station, and was held there for over three years.
She was arrested again on April 26, 2013. Her home was ransacked. The same Dayi County Court that recently sentenced her, gave her three years on December 3, 2013. She was transferred to Chengdu Women’s Prison not long afterwards.
After Ms. Yu was released in 2016, she was constantly harassed by the local authorities and required to report to the security of the school that she worked at before she stepped out for lunch breaks or others things during school hours.
In addition to the harassment and incarceration, her retirement pension was also suspended because of her not giving up Falun Gong.
Related report:
Four Women Detained in Dayi County for Handing Out Falun Gong Informational Materials
