(Minghui.org) A 61-year-old retired teacher in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, was recently sentenced to seven years about her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Duan Xiaorong took her 86-year-old mother, Ms. Ding Cuiying, out for a walk in the courtyard of the apartment complex on June 24, 2025. While her mother stayed in the courtyard to enjoy the sun, Ms. Duan left briefly to do some grocery shopping, only to be arrested by the police. They ignored her plea that she needed to go back and take her mother home. She had to call her daughter to help pick up her mother. Ms. Ding was so devastated by Ms. Duan’s arrest that she fell ill and passed away in late September.
Ms. Duan was held at the Daqing City Second Detention Center and later indicted by prosecutor Zhu Xuan of Ranghulu District Procuratorate, which was designated to handle all Falun Gong cases in the greater Daqing region.
Ms. Duan was originally scheduled to attend an in-person hearing at the Ranghulu District Court on October 15, 2025, but judge Zhang Xinyue changed it to a virtual session that morning without prior notice.
Zhang called Ms. Duan’s daughter on November 5, 2025 and ordered her to make her mother write a statement to renounce Falun Gong, even though she and her family, as well as the lawyer, were not allowed to visit Ms. Duan at the detention center.
Ms. Duan remained firm in her faith. Zhang called her daughter again on November 19 and said that Ms. Duan had been sentenced to seven years with a 60,000-yuan fine.
Ms. Duan is preparing to appeal the verdict.
Ms. Duan used to teach at the Chengfeng Fourth Primary School. She took up Falun Gong in November 1998 and soon recovered from various ailments, including breast hyperplasia, bronchitis, keratitis, and arthritis. She became more patient and caring with her students.
Prior to her latest persecution, Ms. Duan was arrested another time on April 20, 2022 during a police sweep. Her computer, printer and cell phone were confiscated. Her daughter was also arrested and taken to the police station. Both of them were released later that day.
Related Report:
3 Group Arrests of Falun Gong in 3 Months Under New Chief of Daqing City Police
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