(Minghui.org) Ten Qishan County, Shaanxi Province residents were sentenced for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Eight of the practitioners, including Ms. Xu Mingxia, Mr. Jiao Binglan, Ms. Wang Yalan, Ms. Li Huiqin, Ms. Wang Ruiqin, Ms. Cao Luxia, Ms. Wang Huihui, and Mr. Shao Qihu, were arrested on July 10, 2019 during a gathering. The police broke Ms. Xu’s window when ransacking her home. A crack was also found on the wall.
The remaining two practitioners, Mr. Shen Hongqi and Mr. Liu Hongshu, were arrested on July 22, 2019 and September 27, 2020, respectively.
The eight practitioners arrested together and Mr. Shen were tried by the Qishan County Court on August 18, 2020 and convicted on November 30, 2020.
Mr. Shen was sentenced to seven years with a 14,000 yuan fine. Ms. Xu was given four years and an 8,000 yuan fine. Mr. Jiao was sentenced to three years with a 6,000 yuan fine.
The other six practitioners were given probation and exempted from serving time in prison. Their verdicts are:
Ms. Li was sentenced to 2.5 years with a probation of 3.5 years and a 5,000 yuan fine.Ms. Wang Ruiqin was sentenced to 2 years with a probation of 2.5 years and a 4,000 yuan fine.Ms. Cao was sentenced to 1 year and 9 months with a probation of 2.5 years and a 4,000 yuan fine.Mr. Shao was sentenced to 1.5 years with a probation of 2.5 years and a 4,000 yuan fine.Ms. Wang Yalan was sentenced to 1.5 years with a probation of 2 years and a 3,000 yuan fine.Ms. Wang Huihui was sentenced to 1 year with a probation of 2 years and a 2,000 yuan fine.
Mr. Shen, Ms. Xu, and Mr. Jiao appealed the verdicts, but the Baoji City Intermediate Court ruled to uphold their original sentences on April 30, 2021. They were recently transferred to Yangling Prison.
The tenth practitioner, Mr. Liu, has also been taken to the Yangling Prison. It’s not clear when he was tried or how long his prison sentence is.
Updates on the 11 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Qishan County, Shaanxi Province, in July 2019
Nine Falun Gong Practitioners Tried for Their Faith
Nine Falun Gong Practitioners, Including One on Hunger Strike, To Appear in Court
Nine Shaanxi Residents, Including Widow and Grandfather-to-Be, Face Trial for Their Faith
Eight Shaanxi Residents Face Indictment for Reading Books of Their Faith Together
Friend of Falun Gong Practitioner Calls for His Release
Appliance Repair Shop Owner Sentenced to Seven Years
Shaanxi Man on Hunger Strike to Protest Arbitrary Detention, in Serious Condition
After Repeated Arrests for His Faith, Shaanxi Man Targeted Again—Elderly Parents in Distress