(Minghui.org) Mr. Yang Huizhou, a retiree in his 50s, was arrested at his home by officers from Yucaijie Police Station and the Domestic Security Division on November 29, 2013 for practicing Falun Gong. The police and security agents ransacked his dwelling. Mr. Yang has been held at the Shijiazhuang No. 2 Detention Center for about two years.
The Qiaoxi District Court tried him on November 18, 2014. His attorney pointed out that practicing Falun Gong is not illegal, and that the Falun Gong materials confiscated from his home are not evidence of a crime. The attorney entered plea of not guilty for Mr. Yang and continued to defend him.
The court adjourned without making a decision, but then sentenced Mr. Yang to five years in prison on August 14, 2015.
Mr. Yang's family and his attorney appealed to the Shijiazhuang City Intermediate People's Court on September 7, 2015 and requested an acquittal.
Improvements After Practicing Falun Gong
Mr. Yang was in poor health and suffered from severe heart disease and stomach problems. He started to practice Falun Gong in 1994 and soon became healthy. His bad temper also left him.
Mr. Yang's father had suffered a stroke and required assistance with basic functions. Mr. Yang patiently attended to his father's needs and often assisted an elderly neighbor to move her paralyzed husband. Mr. Yang became selfless to those around him.
Prior Persecution and Strain on His Family
Mr. Yang and his family have suffered severely since the communist regime started its persecution of Falun Gong in 1999. Mr. Yang was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2001 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. Guards used many torture methods on him. His elderly parents were hospitalized multiple times due to the traumatic stress of their son's imprisonment and suffering. After seven years of separation, their son was released, only to be arrested again in 2013.
