(Minghui.org) A 75-year-old woman was sentenced to three years and six months with an 8,000-yuan fine for her faith in Falun Gong on August 13, 2020. As the detention center refused to admit her after she failed the physical examination, Ms. Yang Mei is currently serving time at home.
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. Yang, of Luoyang City, Henan Province, was arrested on July 29, 2019 while studying Falun Gong teachings with four other practitioners at her home. A group of police officers broke in and confiscated her Falun Gong books, an mp3 player, all the cash they could find, as well as her grandchild’s toys.
All five practitioners, including Ms. Yang, Ms. Song Aizhen, Ms. Yin Zhirong, Ms. Wang and Ms. Du, were taken to the Changchunlu Police Station. While Ms. Yang was released the same day to take care of her incapacitated husband, the other four practitioners were detained for ten days before being released.
The police summoned Ms. Yang several times to the police station for interrogation afterwards. Her two daughters were also harassed.
The police accused Ms. Yang of being a “repeat offender” upon finding that she had once been sentenced to three years for practicing Falun Gong. They initiated a formal prosecution process against her and submitted her case to the procuratorate.
Ms. Yang appeared in the Jian’xi District Court on November 22, 2019. She acted as her own lawyer and pleaded not guilty. She returned home after the hearing.
Ms. Yang was arrested again on April 17, 2020, after being reported for posting information about Falun Gong. The police ransacked her home and confiscated her Falun Gong books and informational materials.
The judge sentenced Ms. Yang on August 13, 2020. She has appealed the verdict.
