(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 16 cities or counties in 9 provinces. According to this report, 5 Falun Gong practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention, and at least 37 were illegally arrested.

1. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Mr. Luo Yunzhi and Ms. Lan Zhi Detained
2. [Suining City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zeng Chongsu and Ms. Zeng Chongqiong Arrested
3. [Zhaozhuang City, Shandong Province] Mr. Ren Yimin Facing Trial
4. [Hengyang City, Hunan Province] Ms. Hu Xiaoyun Detained
5. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Xiuchun Detained
6. [Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Hong Jiangbo Detained
7. [Xuancheng City, Anhui Province] Mr. Wu Zhenzhong Detained
8. [Changsha City, Hunan Province] Ms. Li Jumei Tortured in Prison
9. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Ms. Wang Wenjun Moved Out of 'Strictly Monitored' Team in Prison
10. [Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province] Two Practitioners Tried
11. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Gu Li Transferred to Prison
12. [Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province] More Than 20 Practitioners Arrested
13. [Qingyang City, Gansu Province] Ms. Qiang Weixiu Detained
14. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Wu Naiying and Ms. Zhang Qinghua Sentenced
15. [Huaying City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhu Yaohui Detained for Over Seven Months
16. [Lechang City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Liang Jianjun Facing Trial
17. [Changchun City, Jilin Province] Ms. Wang Caixia and Daughter Liu Dongyang Sentenced
18. [Tianjin] Ms. Guo Chengru’s Arrest Approved

1. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Mr. Luo Yunzhi and Ms. Lan Zhi Detained

Mr. Luo Yunzhi and Ms. Lan Zhi were arrested while they were posting a presentation board with information about the persecution of Falun Gong. They are being held at Jilin City Detention Center for 15 days of detention.

2. [Suining City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zeng Chongsu and Ms. Zeng Chongqiong Arrested

Ms. Zeng Chongsu, 63, and Ms. Zeng Chongqiong, 61, were arrested by officers from Ximei Town Police Station on the morning of September 29, 2017 when they were talking to others about the persecution of Falun Gong in Ximei Town. They were released in the afternoon.

3. [Zhaozhuang City, Shandong Province] Mr. Ren Yimin Faces Trial

Mr. Ren Yimin is scheduled for trial on October 19, 2017.

4. [Hengyang City, Hunan Province] Ms. Hu Xiaoyun Detained

Ms. Hu Xiaoyun from Hengyang City was arrested by officers from Shenzhenzhan Police Station on September 26, 2017 for telling others about the persecution of Falun Gong on the train from Urumqi City, Xinjiang to Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. She is incarcerated at Guangzhou Railroad Police Detention Center.

5. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Liu Xiuchun Detained

Ms. Liu Xiuchun was arrested on September 20, 2017 by Meng, team lead at Huanggu District Police Department and staging in Liaohe Police Station. Ms. Liu is held at Shenyang City Detention Center.

Parties involved in persecuting Ms. Liu:Liaohe Police Station: +86-24-86227493Huanggu District Police Department: +86-24-86402205Fu Dequan (付德全), deputy captain, Domestic Security Division: +86-138-4032-5205Huang Hui ( 黄辉), agent: +86-24-86404354

6. [Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Hong Jiangbo Detained

Ms. Hong Jiangbo of Liaoyang County was arrested in Haicheng Station on October 3, 2017 when paper money with Falun Gong information was seen in her wallet when she showed her ID to buy a ticket. Her home was ransacked. She is held at Liaoyang City Detention Center.

Parties involved in persecuting Ms. Hong:Haicheng Station: +86-412-3333168Liaoyang City Detention Center: +86-419-3369601Gu Kai (顾凯), captain, Domestic Security Division: +86-412-3226015, +86-412-3209188, +86-15040667777Cheng Kuiguang (程奎光), deputy captain: +86-412-3226015, +86-13941254800

7. [Xuancheng City, Anhui Province] Mr. Wu Zhenzhong Detained

Mr. Wu Zhenzhong was arrested by officers from Xuanzhou District Police Department on September 21, 2017. His home was ransacked, and his computer, printer, burner, and Falun Gong materials were confiscated. He was placed under criminal detention.

Parties involved in persecuting Mr. Wu:Wang Zhaode (王兆德), Xuancheng City Domestic Security Division: +86-13866957599Yang Xuezhong (杨学忠), Guangde County Domestic Security Division: +86-13856386111Xu (许), officer, Guangde County Domestic Security Division: +86-18156361089

8. [Changsha City, Hunan Province] Ms. Li Jumei Tortured in Prison

According to insiders, Ms. Li Jumei has been tortured while detained at Hunan Women's Prison.

Ms. Li, a Jiahe County resident, was arrested on October 23, 2015 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. She was sentenced to seven years in prison around mid-2016 and submitted an appeal, which was turned down months later.

Ms. Li’s daughter traveled from Beijing to Changsha in February 2017, but was denied a visit with her mother. Another relative of Ms. Li was also not allowed to see her.

Her family suspected that she may have been tortured and that the prison authorities didn’t want them to see her injuries. They recently learned that Ms. Li was indeed tortured, though the details remain to be investigated. It was also said that she is now forced to attend brainwashing sessions at the prison.

9. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Ms. Wang Wenjun Moved Out of 'Strictly Monitored' Team in Prison

Ms. Wang Wenjun has been moved to a team for elderly inmates within Jilin Women's Prison.

Ms. Wang was arrested on June 17, 2015 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, and five months later she was sentenced to three years in prison.

The 66-year-old woman was placed in a 'strictly monitored' team that is designed to use every means possible to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their belief.

Ms. Wang's family learned that she had edema and high blood pressure when they visited her in early July 2017. Their next visit on July 13 was denied, but they were allowed to see her one month later. They strongly requested that she be moved out of the 'strictly monitored' team. In September the prison authorities transferred Ms. Wang to a team designed for elderly inmates and agreed to seek medical care for her.

10. [Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province] Two Practitioners Tried in Court

Two sisters were tried on June 28, 2017 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. Their lawyer entered a not guilty plea for them, but he was removed from the courtroom midway through the trial.

Ms. Fang Lifen was arrested in her family-owned shop on September 29, 2016. Her younger sister, Ms. Fang Shihe, was arrested hours later.

Ms. Fang Lifen was badly beaten while in detention and sustained severe leg injuries. She is now unable to walk by herself.

The sisters were reported to have appeared in court for a second time without their families or lawyer being informed of the trial. The details, however, remain to be investigated.

This is not the first time that Ms. Fang Lifen has been targeted for her faith. She was seized on November 12, 2015 and detained for one day. The police tried to make her admit that she filed a criminal complaint against former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin. She did sue Jiang for initiating the persecution of Falun Gong, but since it was her constitutional right, she refused to answer their questions. In retaliation, the police refused to let her use the restroom. She wasn't released until 9:000 p.m. that night.

Qingcheng District Court: +86-763-3398106

11. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Gu Li Transferred to Prison

Ms. Gu Li was taken to Liaoning Province Women's Prison on September 12, after Dalian City Intermediate Court ruled to uphold her conviction without holding an open hearing.

Ms. Gu was arrested on December 6, 2016 for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 7,000 yuan on May 19, 2017. She appealed, only to be turned down by the local higher court.

12. [Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province] More Than 20 Practitioners Arrested

More than 20 Falun Gong practitioners in Yilan County were arrested hours apart on August 31, 2017.

Ms. Yu Fenglan, Ms. Li Guifang, and Ms. Jiang Guifen were released after about four hours of interrogation. Ms. Yu Minglan managed to escape on the second day of her arrest.

Ms. Shi Rongxian, Ms. Zhao Guiqin, Ms. Qu, and Mr. Li Jun were released half-a-month later. Ms. Zhang Jiuhui, Mr. Chen Jizhong, 75, Mr. Tian Hongwei, Mr. Tian Xiaolong, and Ms. Liu Yumin were released one month later.

Mr. Li You, Mr. Liu Yumin, Ms. Xia Guihua, Mr. Wang Yunjie, Ms. Wu Yuqin, Ms. Deng Shumei, Ms. Bu Baoling, Ms. Song Konghua, Ms. Kang Yanling, Mr. Chen Jizhong, Ms. Yao Yulian, Mr. Tang Lifei, Mr. Zhou Yan, and Ms. Shi Laowu remain detained. The female practitioners among them are detained at Harbin City Detention Center and the male practitioners at Yilan County Detention Center.

13. [Qingyang City, Gansu Province] Ms. Qiang Weixiu Detained

Ms. Qiang Weixiu was arrested on October 1, 2017 and is being held at Zhenyuan County Detention Center.

This is not the first time that the 49-year-old woman has been targeted for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. She was arrested five times and twice detained in a forced labor camp.

Wang Jinren, director of Zhenyuan County Farming Equipment Bureau, where Ms. Qiang worked, summoned her for a talk on May 6, 2011 and demanded that she write statements renouncing her belief. He warned her that they would send her to a local brainwashing center if she refused to comply. They also warned that the brainwashing center costs 50,000 yuan per year, which would be deducted from her salary.

Ms. Qiang was given one day to reply to Wang. Knowing that she'd never stop practicing Falun Gong, she left home to avoid arrest. Six years later, she returned to Zhenyuan, only to be arrested shortly afterward.

14. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Wu Naiying and Ms. Zhang Qinghua Sentenced

Ms. Wu Naiying and Ms. Zhang Qinghua were arrested on November 14, 2016 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. Though the local procuratorate twice returned their cases, citing insufficient evidence, police still managed to get the procuratorate to indict the two practitioners.

Ms. Wu and Ms. Zhang were tried together on August 22, 2017. The prosecution's evidence included the two practitioners' criminal complaints against Jiang Zemin for initiating the persecution of Falun Gong that resulted in their past imprisonments.

Their lawyers entered a not guilty plea for them. Judges Li Hong and Liu Qian convicted the two practitioners on September 30. Ms. Wu and Ms. Zhang were each sentenced to three years and fined 20,000 yuan. Both of them are appealing their cases.

Regarding their past imprisonments, Ms. Wu and Ms. Zhang were sentenced to 4 years and 3.5 years, respectively, in 2008.

15. [Huaying City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Zhu Yaohui Detained for Over Seven Months

Ms. Zhu Yaohui remains detained following her arrest on March 8, 2017 for using paper money with Falun Gong messages written on them. The local police threatened to sentence her to five years in prison.

The 65-year-woman was taking a break from caring for her grandchild in Shanghai when she was seized in her hometown of Huaying City, Sichuan Province. Her husband, who also lived with their daughter in Shanghai, rushed back to Sichuan following her arrest. Their daughter and son-in-law have to send their child to daycare and are emotionally and financially stressed.

16. [Lechang City, Guangdong Province] Mr. Liang Jianjun Facing Trial

Mr. Liang Jianjun was scheduled to face trial in early November 2017 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong.

The 49-year-old teacher at Lechang Vocational School was seized at work on May 25, 2017 and indicted on August 25.

His lawyer requested to have the case dropped, and Qiu Weijing, director of the prosecution section of the local procuratorate, promised to handle the case in accordance with the law.

Qiu, however, forwarded the case to the local court on October 10. Mr. Liang's lawyer realized Qiu never intended to seek justice for Mr. Liang.

Qiu Huihua (no relation), of the local court, told the lawyer that Mr. Liang's wife would not be allowed to attend the trial.

17. [Changchun City, Jilin Province] Ms. Wang Caixia and Daughter Liu Dongyang Sentenced

Nanguan District Court informed Ms. Wang Caixia’s son on September 27, 2017 that he could obtain a hearing attendance permit on the next day and that the verdict would be announced on September 29.

The court held a public hearing on the morning of September 29. Only Ms. Wang’s son attended the hearing. Ms. Wang was sentenced to five years in prison and her daughter Liu Dongyang to four years. Each of them was fined 10,000 yuan. The mother and daughter have appealed.

18. [Tianjin] Ms. Guo Chengru’s Arrest Approved

Ms. Guo Chengru was arrested by officers from Taoyuan Police Station on August 25, 2017. She has been held at Hexi District Detention Center. Hexi District Procuratorate approved the arrest on September 8, 2017.