(Minghui.org) A woman in Handan City, Hebei Province, is set to stand trial on September 1, 2026, for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Du Likun, 41, was initially arrested on February 19, 2025, and later released on bail. After the police took her back into custody on August 19, 2026, the court expedited her case, alleging that she was a flight risk. Her family quickly hired a lawyer, but the detention center barred the lawyer from meeting with her. They stated that the court had arranged legal representation for Ms. Du and the lawyer needed court approval to visit her.
Ms. Du, her husband, Mr. Ma Yongxiao, and her mother, Ms. Yang Fenglian, were arrested at their shared residence around 11 p.m. on February 19, 2025. All three of them were soon admitted to the local detention center.
Ms. Du’s father, Mr. Du Jiaxiang, hired lawyers to rescue his loved ones. The police forced him to dismiss five lawyers before eventually arresting him as well.
After over one month of detention, Ms. Yang and Mr. Ma were released on residential surveillance and Mr. Du was released on bail, when the Feixiang District Procuratorate decided not to approve their arrests.
Ms. Du, however, was deceived by the police into providing self-incriminating evidence, which prosecutor Li Hejun of the Feixiang District Procuratorate used to indict her at an unknown time. When her case was docketed at the Feixiang District Court, judge Liu Yanfeng signed her bail release document, but ordered her to report to the police every week.
Upon returning home, Ms. Du worked with her father to file complaints against the police, prosecutor, and judge for wrongfully persecuting her. They also applied with the local intermediate court to have judge Liu recused from her case, but to no avail.
Ms. Du was arrested on August 19, 2026, by officers from the Hanshan District Police Department and Luochengtou Police Station. They claimed they were following an order from the Feixiang District Court.
Ms. Du’s lawyer went to the detention center on August 20 and 23 to see her, but the guards denied both visitation requests and directed the lawyer to apply for permission with the court.
Around the same time, Mr. Du tried to appeal with Wen Junhua, the chief of Hanshan District Police Department. He was stopped by police director Li Jianqiao, who claimed that they wouldn’t receive anyone for Falun Gong related cases.
Li said to Mr. Du, “Only after your daughter is sentenced to prison will we address your issue. Feel free to sue us anywhere you like.”
Prior to their latest arrests, the family has been repeatedly targeted in the past 27 years for upholding their faith. See the related reports for details of their past persecution.
Related Reports:
Family of Three Detained for Their Faith—Lawyers Denied Visitation
The United Nations Is Concerned about China's Persecution of Yang Fenglian and Her Daughter Du Likun
Mother and Daughter, Tortured to Near Death for Their Belief, Sue Former Chinese Dictator