(Minghui.org) The Guta District Court sentenced two older women for handing out information about Falun Dafa, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. Ms. Chen Lijun, 61, and Ms. Pei Ruifen, 78, were arrested and interrogated at the Jinzhou Detention Center on December 15, 2017, despite both women being in poor physical condition. The women were later put on trial. Ms. Pei's family hired a lawyer to defend her.
No verdict was announced at the time of the hearing. It was recently learned that both women were illegally sentenced to prison. Ms. Chen was given a two-year sentence, and Ms. Pei was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with four years of probation.
The two women, along with another Falun Dafa practitioner, Ms. Zhang Fengyun, 80, were arrested while they distributed informational materials about Falun Gong near the Jinzhou Meteorological Observatory on the morning of August 8, 2017, after someone reported them to the Zhongtun Police Station. The Guta Police Department also assisted in the arrest.
Ms. Pei’s Home Searched and Daughter Arrested
The police officers confiscated Ms. Pei's keys and searched her home without presenting a search warrant. Ms. Pei's daughter, Ms. Yuan Quan, was home at the time. They forced her to hand over Falun Dafa books and Dafa informational materials. Only upon seeing these materials did the officers leave to obtain a search warrant.
The police went back to Ms. Pei’s home again and confiscated a printer, computer, Falun Dafa books, and personal items. They ordered Ms. Yuan to give them her housing license and ID card. They videotaped the scene. Neighbors were also present.
The officers deceived Ms. Yuan into believing that she could visit her mother and give her advice. She never imagined that she would be dragged along with her mother, and the other two women, to the Jinzhou City Women's Detention Center at 2 a.m. on August 9th.
The guards threatened Ms. Yuan in an effort to get her to renounce her belief. They also forced her to sign as guarantor to post bail for her mother. Ms. Pei was released on bail pending trial.
Family Members Demand Justice
When the police tried to force their way into Ms. Zhang Fengyun's home, her family members refused to let them enter.
The police detained Ms. Zhang at the detention center even though she was dizzy and was having difficulty standing. She wasn't able to walk or defecate for 20 days. She was taken to a hospital for intestinal resection surgery, which left an intestinal adhesion. The resulting abdominal distension was unbearable. She could only drink very small amounts of water and quickly became emaciated.
Ms. Zhang's husband wore a petition sign on his chest and went to the police department, the branch office, and the detention center demanding to see the officers in charge. He asked why his wife had been arrested for giving people a few pamphlets. He said that he had been a police officer for over 40 years and never heard of an 80-year-old woman being arrested.
Ms. Zhang was released on September 15, 2017. She had been detained for 37 days.
List of Perpetrators:Luo Guoqing (罗国卿), director, Guta District Court, Jinzhou CityWang Xianming(王鲜明), prosecutor, Guta District Procuratorate, Jinzhou CityXiao Ming (肖铭), director, Guta Branch Domestic Security Division, Jinzhou CityLi Meishan (李嵋珊), Anti-cult Detachment, Jinzhou City: +86-15698704590Zhongtun Police Station, Jinzhou City: +86-04164568733Chen Chunrui (陈春蕊), head, Women's Detention Center, Jinzhou City: +86-0416-3708085
