(Minghui.org) A Jianchang County, Huludao City, Liaoning Province resident was sentenced to seven years on November 12, 2024 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Zhu Jiyu, in her 50s, used to be a lay Buddhist. While working for an elderly Falun Gong practitioner as a home aide, she witnessed the practitioner’s kindness and took up Falun Gong in 2017. Living by Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, Ms. Zhu volunteered to care for her bedridden ex-mother-in-law. Her ex-husband and his family were all very touched. 

At around 3 p.m. on March 13, 2024, officers from the Jianchang County Domestic Security Division and the Chengjiao Police Station broke into Ms. Zhu’s home and arrested her. The police claimed that someone turned in a purse a few days before, which had three copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a media player and a cellphone with electronic files of Falun Gong books. They suspected that the purse belonged to Ms. Zhu by poring over surveillance camera footage.

The police submitted Ms. Zhu’s case to the Lianshan District Procuratorate, which then indicted her. She was sentenced to seven years by the Lianshan District Court on November 12. She is still held at the Huludao City Detention Center. 

In recent years, the Lianshan District Procuratorate and Lianshan District Court have been designated to handle Falun Gong cases in the greater Huludao region. At least four other practitioners have been sentenced in 2024 so far. 

Ms. Liu Yubo was sentenced to two years and three months. She was taken to the Liaoning Province Second Women’s Prison on July 16, 2024.

Ms. Ling Hajie and Ms. Wu Jiufen, who were sentenced to two years and one year, respectively, were both transferred to the Liaoning Province Second Women’s Prison on August 21, 2024. 

Ms. Gao Shufen, who had become paralyzed after a stroke, was given a 1.5-year term. Given her health condition, she was ordered to serve six months of home arrest first before serving her prison term.

In addition, three practitioners are at various stages of prosecution.

Mr. Yang Jiangwei was scheduled to stand trial on August 20, 2024. The court later postponed the session to an unknown date. 

Ms. Liu Cong’s case was submitted to the Lianshan District Procuratorate in late September 2024 and she is now facing indictment. 

Mr. Liu Wei, who was arrested on May 12, 2024, is also facing indictment after the police submitted his case to the Lianshan District Procuratorate in July 2024.