(Minghui.org) It was recently confirmed by Minghui.org that a Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province resident was sentenced to 3.5 years for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. His appeal was denied and his workplace also fired him.
Mr. Wang Yanming, 54, used to work at the Daqing No. 10 Oil Production Plant as a driver. He took up Falun Gong in September 1997 and credits the practice for turning him into a better person. Since the onset of the persecution, he has been arrested, harassed and detained multiple times.
Mr. Wang’s latest arrest was on June 28, 2023 at his workplace. Officers of the High-tech Development Zone Domestic Security Office claimed that a surveillance camera recorded him putting up self-adhesive posters about Falun Gong near his home. The police questioned him about where he got the materials. He refused to answer and was arrested.
The police raided Mr. Wang’s home and confiscated his Falun Gong books, several Falun Gong bookmarks and some informational DVDs. They threatened his family that these materials were enough to get him sentenced. They also ordered his family to pressure Mr. Wang to give up practicing Falun Gong. Mr. Wang didn’t budge.
The High-tech Development Zone Procuratorate approved Mr. Wang’s arrest on July 25. Prosecutor Yang Jie was assigned to handle his case.
During the hearing by the High-tech Development Zone Court on September 25, none of Mr. Wang’s family was present. It’s not clear whether the court didn’t inform them of the hearing or they weren’t allowed to attend. Mr. Wang was sentenced to 3.5 years with a 20,000-yuan fine. He appealed with the Daqing City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold his original verdict on November 8, 2023.
The leadership at the Daqing No. 10 Oil Production Plant fired Mr. Wang on January 18, 2024. He is still held at the Daqing City Second Detention Center at the time of writing.
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