(Minghui.org) Eight Falun Gong practitioners from Hefei City, Anhui Province were arrested on April 28 and May 2, 2017. Six have been released, but Ms. Zhao Meiling and Ms. Yao Ming are still being detained.

Ms. Zhao Meiling and Ms. Hua Xuexiang planned to hang Falun Gong banners to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong. They were arrested by several plainclothes officers at 8:00 p.m. on April 28, and were taken to the Anqinglu Police Station.

Ms. Yao Ming was unaware that she was being followed by police as she was hanging banners. The police followed her to Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Shilan's home at 2:00 p.m. on May 2. She was arrested before she knocked on the door.

The police also broke into Ms. Wang's home and arrested Ms. Wang and four other practitioners who were gathered at her home. They included Ms. Sun Yishu, Ms. Liu Yanying, Ms. Li Cuiying, and disabled Ms. Liu Wenxi. Three of the practitioners are about 80 years old. They were taken to the Anqinglu Police Station.

The five Falun Gong practitioners, who were 70+ years old, were interrogated and then released into the custody of their family members on the night of May 2.

Ms. Sun Yishu and Ms. Yao Ming were transferred to the Hefei City Detention Center on May 3. Ms. Sun was released on May 13.

Ms. Zhao Meiling and Ms. Yao Ming are currently still being detained in the Hefei City Detention Center. Their family members are looking for an attorney to help rescue them.