(Minghui.org) Four Ningxiang City, Hunan Province residents, including a married couple and their son, were sentenced to prison for raising awareness about the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong that has been going on since July 1999.
More than 20 officers broke into 62-year-old Mr. Wang Gang’s home on July 24, 2020, and arrested him, his wife Ms. Yang Junying, and their son Mr. Wang Zhuo, 37.
The police targeted Mr. Wang Gang after suspecting him of giving Falun Gong materials to another practitioner, Mr. Zhao Chunping, after the latter was seen on surveillance cameras distributing brochures in Xiangxiang City, about 60 miles from Ningxiang.
The police ransacked the Wang family’s three-story home. The couple’s computers, printers, tens of thousands of yuan in cash, informational materials about Falun Gong, and a photo of Falun Gong’s founder were confiscated. Their son’s camera and computer, which he used for his photo studio’s business on the first floor of their residence, were also taken.
Although the police released Mr. Wang Zhuo, who does not practice Falun Gong, the next afternoon, they arrested him again and put him in criminal detention when he returned three days later to ask for the return of his computer, which contained many of his customers’ photos. He was released on bail on October 11, 2020, only to be taken back into custody and held in the Xiangxiang City Detention Center on January 13, 2021.
His father Mr. Wang Gang and Mr. Zhao were tried at the detention center by the Xiangtan City Court on April 14. A day later, the younger Mr. Wang and his mother were tried.
The judge announced the verdicts of the four residents in September 2021: Mr. Wang Gang was sentenced to 7.5 years with a 20,000 yuan fine. Ms. Yang was sentenced to 7 years with a 20,000 yuan fine. Mr. Zhao was given 4 years with a 10,000 yuan fine. Mr. Wang Zhuo was sentenced to 3 years with a 5,000-yuan fine and allowed to serve time outside of prison.
Mr. Wang Gang appealed the verdict, but the appeal was rejected.
Related report:
Parents and Son Arrested and Secretly Tried for the Couple’s Faith
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