Beijing Woman’s Prison Sentence for Practicing Falun Gong Upheld

(Minghui.org) The Beijing No.1 Intermediate Court on March 10, 2021, upheld Ms. Fan Jirong’s four-year prison term for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

The court also ruled to remove the 10,000-yuan fine from her verdict but to use the printers and other personal belongings confiscated from her to make up for it.

Ms. Fan, a Beijing resident, received her first-instance sentence at home on December 3, 2020, for a case against her seven years ago, when she was arrested on July 8, 2013, for putting up Falun Gong banners. Although she was released on bail after developing a severe medical condition in custody, the police never gave up pursuing prison time against her and eventually got her sentenced for her faith.

Ms. Fan appealed with the Beijing City No.1 Intermediate Court. Four court staff members came to her home on February 10, 2021, and told her that they had accepted her case.

On February 22, a different group of four people from the Beijing Intermediate Procuratorate came to question Ms. Fan at home. Four days later, the Yanqing District Procuratorate summoned her to their office and questioned her. But none of the prosecutors recorded Ms. Fan’s account of how the police interrogated her and caused physical injuries.

While Ms. Fan was still waiting for the result of the appeal, the police harassed her on March 5, 2021, during the Chinese Communist Party’s largest annual political meeting in Beijing.

On March 10, staff members of the intermediate court came to her home and announced the court’s decision to uphold her prison sentence.

Related reports:

Beijing Woman Sentenced at Home for a Case from Seven Years Ago

Beijing Woman Harassed for Her Faith, Has Blood Sample and Biometrics Forcibly Taken

Beijing: the Persecution of Practitioner Fan Jirong