(Minghui.org) Two Chengdu City, Sichuan Province residents in their 30s recently had their prison sentences against their faith in Falun Gong upheld by the appeals court. 

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Zhong Hua, a translator at a foreign company, and Ms. Ran Wenfang, a piano teacher, in their 30s, were arrested on May 26, 2019, after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. They have been held at the Pi County Detention Center since. 

The Jinniu District Procuratorate approved the two practitioners’ arrests on July 1, 2019, and indicted them in March 2020. 

The two practitioners appeared in Jinniu District Court on July 6, 2020. They both entered a not guilty plea for themselves. They argued that there is no legal basis for the persecution of Falun Gong and that they didn’t do anything wrong in raising awareness of their faith. 

The judge sentenced them weeks later. Ms. Zhong was given 2.5 years with a 10,000-yuan fine. Ms. Ran was sentenced to two years and fined 6,000 yuan. They appealed the verdict. The Chengdu City Intermediate Court upheld the original sentences on October 16, 2020.

Related report:

A Translator and a Piano Teacher Face Trial for Talking to People about Their Faith