(Minghui.org) A Tianjin woman was incarcerated on the last day of 2020 to serve a five-year term for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Ma Qingxia, 43, took up Falun Gong in 2006. She credits the practice for improving her health and turning her into a better person.
Three officers went to Ms. Ma’s home at around 4 p.m. on December 5, 2019. They took pictures of her Falun Gong painting on the wall. Then two officers left and one stayed to monitor Mr. Ma.
At 7 p.m., seven more officers came. They searched her place and confiscated her Falun Gong books, a photo of Falun Gong’s founder, two computers, the Falun Gong painting on the wall, and 10,000 yuan in cash.
The police then arrested Ms. Ma and took her to the Huangzhuang Police Station. She was later transferred to the Wuqing Detention Center. Her arrest was approved on December 27.
The police also threatened to arrest Ms. Ma’s mother-in-law, Ms. Wang Junxia, who also practices Falun Gong. Ms. Wang has to live away from home to avoid being arrested.
Ms. Ma was tried by the Wuqing District Court in the detention center through a video conference on June 10, 2020. Her husband was allowed to watch the video of the hearing. She wasn’t represented by a lawyer.
The judge later sentenced Ms. Ma to five years. She was taken to Tianjin Women’s Prison on December 31, 2020, and is being held at the ninth ward.
Related report:
Fourteen Falun Gong Practitioners Detained in Wuqing Detention Center in Tianjin
