(Minghui.org) Officials from Chengguan District Court in Lanzhou City sentenced four practitioners to prison on September 23, 2013. Mr. Wang Youjiang was sentenced to six years, Ms. Chen Jie was sentenced to five years, Ms. Ge Qingchun was sentenced to four years and Ms. Lu Yueling was sentenced to three years.

At the end of September, 2013 Mr. Wang, Ms. Chen, and Ms. Lu submitted an appeal to the Lanzhou Intermediate Court, demanding that their sentences be rescinded, a re-trial be scheduled, and they be declared innocent.

Mr. Wang stated in his appeal that officers from the Chengguan District Domestic Security Division broke into his home, ransacked it and then extracted a confession from him through the use of torture, which was then used as evidence against him. Officers from the domestic security division had Mr. Wang tied to a tiger bench from 4 p.m. on June 28 until 7 p.m. on July 2, 2012. During his detention, officers also deprived him of sleep by shining high voltage lights into his eyes. Mr. Wang now has high blood pressure as a result of the torture he endured.

Personnel from the Chengguan District Court, including Wei Gongxin and Liu Dongyu, deceived Mr. Wang's lawyer and tried to interfere with him providing legal representation for his client's appeal. They also deprived Mr. Wang of his legal rights and failed to inform his family of the trial date. Mr. Wang demanded that officials from Lanzhou Intermediate Court and the relevant supervisory authorities investigate his case in order to hold officers from the Chengguan District Domestic Security Department responsible for having tortured him to obtain the so-called “evidence”, as well as the illegal actions of officials from Chengguan Court. Mr. Wang is currently being held at the Xiguoyuan Detention Center in Lanzhou.

Ms. Chen Jie is now doing hard labor making wigs at the Lanzhou City No.1 Detention Center. She is forced to work from 6 a.m. to around 9 p.m. and is required to sit there the entire time. She now suffers from extreme pain in her neck and back. Her eyes are sore and she has developed inflammation in her gall bladder, as well as symptoms of anemia. Ms. Chen began a hunger strike to protest her treatment. A guard at the detention center started beating her and threatened her not to continue.

A guard tried to force her to plead guilty to the fabricated charges against her. But Ms. Chen refused and asked to contact her lawyer. She also asked the court to call her sister, but they refused. When Ms. Chen's family members called the court, Liu Dongyu from the Chengguan District Court stated that Ms. Chen had already been sentenced the day before.

Ms. Chen Jie was born on November 22, 1970 in Huining County, Gansu Province. She was previously sentenced to three years imprisonment in December 2003 by officials from the Qilihe District Court in Lanzhou.

Mr. Wang Youjiang was born on March 23, 1969 in Yongdeng County in Gansu Province. On January 10, 2001, he was sentenced to ten years in prison by officials from Chengguan District Court.

Ms. Ge Qingchun was born on October 19, 1968 in Yongdeng County, Gansu Province. She is currently held at Xiguoyuan Detention Center in Lanzhou.

Ms. Lu Yueling was born on December 11, 1964 in Lanzhou, and is currently held at the No.1 Detention Center in Lanzhou.

Following is a partial list of those responsible for the persecution of these four practitioners:

In the Chengguan District Court:
Gong Changming, male, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Committee in Chengguan District Court and person in charge of the court. A member of Lanzhou City Intermediate Court.
Zhang Meixian, in charge of the scheduling the trial, and Wei Gongxin, in charge of the criminal court: +86-931-8522809
Presiding Judge Liu Baoxin, Presiding Judge Jin Jiyong, Judge Liu Wen, Deputy Judge Liu Dongyu, Secretary Zhang Ruiru: +86-931-8522815

Li Fanming, secretary: +86-931-8524864

Chengguan District Political and Juridical Committee:
Secretary Su Yong, deputy in charge of the comprehensive management office, Guo Bin, Yang Ji; Person in charge of the Stability Office Yao Wei. 610 Office; secretary Gao Lina: +86-13919366270 (Cell)

Lanzhou No.1 Detention Center: Persons in charge Zhao Zhijun and Liu Ping
Team leaders at Lanzhou City Domestic Security Division
Chen Zhicai: +86-13399317327 (Cell)
Xiao Yunlian: +86-13919108600 (Cell)
Jia Zhaoxiao: +86-13919896515 (Cell)
Ma Jianjun: +86-13399317561 (Cell)
Dong Jinxia: +86-13399313679 (Cell)
Hou Xiaobin: +86-13399313757 (Cell)