(Minghui.org) A Chongqing resident in her 70s was recently sentenced to two years and eight months for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Liao Shulan went out on the morning of May 13, 2020, and was followed by Wang, a member of the local residential committee. After Wang saw Ms. Liao talking to someone about Falun Gong and giving him a booklet, she rushed over, grabbed Ms. Liao’s arm, and reported her to the police.
Ms. Liao was taken to the Duzhou Police Station. The police ransacked her home at 6 p.m. and confiscated her Falun Gong books and materials. They then put Ms. Liao under house arrest and released her at around 9 p.m.
The police later submitted Ms. Liao’s case to the Changshou District Procuratorate, which then transferred it to the Jiangbei District Procuratorate, the designated procuratorate to handle all Falun Gong cases in the region.
After reviewing the case document, Ms. Liao’s lawyer argued that it was illegal for the residential committee staffer to monitor his client. In response, the prosecutor changed the information about Wang in the indictment to say that Wang saw Ms. Liao distributing Falun Gong materials on the street by coincidence.
Ms. Liao appeared in the Jiangbei District Court on October 25, 2020. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea for her. While the judge didn’t order to take her into custody, the 610 Office in Changshou District, an extralegal agency created specifically to persecute Falun Gong, instructed the police to take Ms. Liao to a detention center after the hearing.
An insider revealed that the Jiangbei District Procuratorate and Jiangbei District Court didn’t want to accept Ms. Liao’s case initially, but were forced to do so after being pressured by the 610 Office.
Ms. Liao’s family confirmed recently that she has been sentenced to two years and eight months. It’s not clear whether she has been taken to the prison.
Past Persecution
Since the communist regime ordered the persecution in 1999, Ms. Liao has been arrested several times and incarcerated for a total of 4.5 years.
During an arrest on June 21, 2004, the police savagely beat her and ransacked her home. She was given one year at Maojiashan Women’s Forced Labor Camp after four months of detention.
Ms. Liao was arrested again on May 31, 2012 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to 3.5 years by the Changshou District Court and sent to prison in late 2012.
She was arrested yet again on September 17, 2015, and released that same evening.
Related reports:
Woman in Her 70s Tried for Her Faith, Prosecutor Changes Key Fact in Indictment
Having Served 4.5 Years, Woman in Her 70s Faces Trial for Her Faith
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Category: Accounts of Persecution
