(Minghui.org) A 77-year-old Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province resident was taken to a prison on October 19, 2023 to serve a four-year term for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Guo Shufen was arrested on November 16, 2020 along with two other practitioners, Ms. Xu Rongshi, 78, and Ms. Fu Lianhua, 77, for talking to people about Falun Gong at a local fair. While they were being held in the 857 Farm Police Station, more than a dozen officers from the Mudanjiang City Police Department (which has jurisdiction over the 857 Farm) raided their homes. Their computers, cell phones, MP3 players, and Falun Gong books were confiscated. The raids took place when no one was home. They were soon released on bail.
The police took Ms. Xu and Ms. Fu back into custody at Jixi City Detention Center on July 14, 2023, after all three practitioners were sentenced to four years in prison by the Hongxinglong Court. Ms. Fu was denied admission, but Ms. Xu was admitted and later transferred to a prison (exact name and location unknown).
The police didn’t target Ms. Guo in July 2023 because she was still recovering from an ankle fracture and was as yet unable to walk. But as soon as she recovered, the police took her to a prison (name and location unknown) on October 19.
In recent years, the officers in 857 Farm Police Station have been closely monitoring local Falun Gong practitioners. They often harass the practitioners at home, take their photos and attempt to force them to renounce Falun Gong.
Two years ago, the police threatened the son of a practitioner in her 80s, saying that they’d arrest his mother and throw her into jail if they found one Falun Gong book at her home. Fearing the persecution, her son destroyed all her Falun Gong books and informational materials. Ms. Guo was devastated and her health quickly declined. She passed away in the summer of 2023.
Three Senior Women Sentenced to Four Years for Their Shared Faith in Falun Gong