(Minghui.org) Nine residents of Zibo City, Shandong Province, were arrested around November 2020 for practicing Falun Gong, and four of them are still detained at the time of this report.

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

A dozen plainclothes officers surrounded Mr. Zhang Feng's home on November 11, 2020, and broke in. They ransacked the place and confiscated some Falun Gong materials and other personal belongings. Mr. Zhang, 45, was first taken to the Wangcun Town Police Station and transferred to Zhoucun District Detention Center three days later.

On the same day, when Mr. Li Shuai, 57, was loading up his tractor with bricks for a customer, a car pulled over and five plainclothes police officers stepped out. After they confirmed his identity, they swarmed and arrested him. They took him to the Wangcun Town Police Station for interrogation. A police officer called Mr. Li’s wife home from work and went over to his home to ransack it. His Falun Gong materials were confiscated.

Another four practitioners, including Mr. Ma Shuguang, 78, Ms. Wang Guilan, Ms. Zhang Chunling, and Ms. Cao Yuling, were also arrested by officers from the Wangcun Town Police Station on November 11. They were interrogated and their homes were ransacked. They were released on bail on November 13, but Mr. Ma and Ms. Wang were arrested again on December 2.

Practitioner Mr. Bao (70s, given name unknown) and Ms. Cui (50s, given name unknown) were also arrested on November 11, and both were released the next day.

Ms. You Junmei was arrested around November 15 and her home was ransacked. She was released on the same night.