(Minghui.org) The Yuanbaoshan District Court in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, sentenced three innocent women to prison for practicing Falun Gong after holding an illegal trial on March 13, 2013. Ms. Gao Zhifan was sentenced to three and a half years, Ms. Wang Jiufang to three years and three months, and Ms. Shao Guizhen to three years.

All three practitioners are in their 50s. They were arrested on October 26, 2012, by officers from the Yuanbaoshan Domestic Security Division, Criminal Police Team, and Yunshan Road Police Station. The police also ransacked their homes.

According to sources, the three practitioners had been monitored and followed prior to their arrests. Authorities offered a 500 yuan reward for reporting a practitioner.

Ms. Gao owns a grain store in the Yuanbaoshan Power Company. Her store was broken into on October 20, 2012; more than 20,000 yuan in cash and a 100,000 yuan deposit card were stolen.

Ms. Gao reported the incident to the police. A week later, on October 26, she was arrested at her store. Police ransacked her home and confiscated Falun Gong books, cell phones, and a laptop.

Ms. Shao was arrested around 6 p.m. the same day. Police ransacked her home, as well as her daughter's home.

Ms. Wang, who owns a clothing store, was also arrested the same day. Police ransacked her home and confiscated several Falun Gong books, cell phones, and a brand-new laptop her nephew had bought for her son.

The three practitioners were incarcerated in the Yuanbaoshan Detention Center.

The Yuanbaoshan District Court tried them on March 13, 2013. The defense attorneys were only notified after the three practitioners' families had arrived at the courthouse. They had to scramble to get to the courtroom.