(Minghui.org) Two men in Anqing City, Anhui Province, were admitted to the Suzhou Prison on August 16, 2023, after losing appeals on June 8 for their wrongful convictions.
Mr. Huang Zhisong, 58, and Mr. Jiang Xiagen, in his late 60s and a retired professor from the Anhui University of Science and Technology, were each sentenced to three and a half years in early 2023 for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
The two men and six other local Falun Gong practitioners, including Mr. Huang’s wife Ms. Chen Lingxia, were arrested on June 17, 2022, when they were reading the Falun Gong teachings in a private home.
Ms. Chen, Mr. Peng Zhijiang, Mr. Wang Zhongliang, Ms. Zhang, Ms. Shang, and her daughter, were later released, but Mr. Huang and Mr. Jiang were given criminal detentions and taken to the Yuexi County Detention Center.
The Taihu County Procuratorate approved Mr. Huang and Mr. Jiang’s arrests on July 25. Officers Zhou Guoqiang, Li Xiaohu, and Liu Jian submitted their cases to the procuratorate on September 23, 2022. Mr. Huang and Mr. Jiang were later transferred to the Anqing City First Detention Center.
The Taihu County Court held a hearing of the two men’s joint case on February 24, 2023. Their lawyers entered a not-guilty plea for them, but the court later sentenced both of them to three and a half years. They appealed. Their appeal was rejected by the Anqing City Intermediate Court on June 8.
Wife Dies Two Days After Husband’s Hearing
When Mr. Huang was tried on February 24, 2023, his wife Ms. Chen was too weak to attend the trial as she had become ill due to mental distress from visiting various government agencies to seek his release. She suddenly died two days later, at the age of 55.
The couple’s two daughters, who are currently living outside of China, could not come home to attend her funeral, also because of the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong.
A Prior 4-Year Sentence
Mr. Huang took up Falun Gong in February 1997 and became more tolerant when running into conflicts with others. His job performance also improved significantly. As the deputy director of Huacheng Company’s Plastic Factory, he stopped the factory's financial losses and the company became profitable. He was elected Employee of the Year.
After the persecution began, Mr. Huang was removed from his managerial position. He was forced to live away from home in 2002 to avoid being persecuted. As soon as he returned home on January 17, 2003, he was arrested.
Mr. Huang was later sentenced to four years and was brutally tortured at the Suzhou Prison, where he is currently serving his second prison term.
He and his wife were both arrested on June 19, 2008, and given criminal detention. Their home was raided that day. Mr. Huang was later given one year of forced labor to be served at home. The police did not immediately release him. Instead, they held him at a brainwashing center for two months before allowing him to return home.
Related Reports:
Anhui Woman Dies Two Days After Husband Stands Trial for Their Shared Faith in Falun Gong
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