(Minghui.org) Five Huairen City, Shanxi Province residents were arrested within two months for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Wang Lijun’s home suddenly lost power at around 9 p.m. on May 12, 2021. When she opened the door to see what had happened, a person asked her whether she was Wang Lijun. After she confirmed her identity, a group of officers showed up and broke into her home. “If you sign a statement to renounce Falun Gong, we will let you go. Otherwise, you will be arrested,” they said to her.

Ms. Wang maintained that she didn’t do anything wrong in practicing Falun Gong and was thus arrested. The police carried her downstairs and pushed her into the police car. She wasn’t allowed to change out of her slippers.

On the same evening, another practitioner, Ms. Wang Cuiying, went missing. When her family went to the local police station to ask about her case, the police referred them to the Domestic Security Office, which told them that the decision to arrest her came from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, an extra-judiciary agency tasked with persecuting Falun Gong.

Several other practitioners later also reported that they were harassed that evening. Some officers called the practitioners outside of their apartments and others claimed that their electric meter was broken and asked the practitioners to come out and take a look. 

Days later, Ms. Guo Zhongxiang and her husband were arrested. While her husband was released a day later, Ms. Guo was taken to a brainwashing center located in a hotel, where Ms. Wang Lijun and Ms. Wang Cuiying were also detained. They were held in small rooms and monitored around the clock. 

Ms. Wang Cuiying was released after seven days of detention. Ms. Guo and Ms. Wang Lijun were detained 40 and 47 days, respectively.

On July 12, 2021, another two practitioners, Ms. Yin Xueqin and Ms. Liu Min, were also arrested. They are now held in the same hotel where the brainwashing sessions are held.