71-year-old Woman Given 2.5 Years for Reading Books of Her Spiritual Belief

(Minghui.org) A 71-year-old woman in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, was sentenced to 2.5 years for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Shi Meilian was arrested on May 13, 2021, while studying Falun Gong books at the home of another practitioner, Ms. Shen Yafang. 

Ms. Shen, Ms. Shi, and her 12 other guests, all Falun Gong practitioners, were taken to a local brainwashing center. Ms. Shen, in her 80s, suffered severe vaginal bleeding while in custody. She and the other 12 practitioners were later released, but Ms. Shi was kept in custody and taken to the Nantong Detention Center on June 25. 

The Chongchuan District Court held a secret hearing and later sentenced Ms. Shi to 2.5 years. She has been taken to the women’s prison in nearby Nanjing City.

Prior to her latest sentencing, Ms. Shi served a forced labor camp term. She was arrested again, on August 16, 2007, after the police forced her daughter to take them to her textile shop. She was held at a hotel and denied family visitation. 

Perpetrators’ contact information:
Xia Jibing (夏季兵), director, Tongzhou District 610 Office: [phone]Cao Shuilin (曹水林), head, Domestic Security Office: [phone]Zhang Xinmin (张新民), deputy chief, Chengzhong Police Station: [phone] 

(More perpetrators’ contact information is available in the original Chinese article.)