(Minghui.org) Thirteen Nong’an County, Jilin Province residents were sentenced to 1.5 to 10 years for their faith in Falun Gong. Two of them, Mr. Zhang Jingyuan and Mr. Shan Weihe, were taken to the Gongzhuling Prison on January 6, 2022 to serve 2 and 6 years, respectively.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Mr. Zhang Jingyuan

Mr. Zhang, a 48-year-old elementary school teacher, and Mr. Shan, 55, were arrested with the other eleven practitioners on July 15, 2020. They, along with all other male practitioners, were held at the Dehui Detention Center for a month, before being transferred to the Nongan County Detention Center. Mr. Shan, 56, was interrogated at the police station. He became emaciated due to the abuse in the detention center.

Mr. Zhang’s arrest dealt a heavy blow to his elderly parents, especially his ailing mother. In the first few months, she cried almost every night and couldn’t sleep. Every day she moves to the back of her house with crutches and stares at the entrance of the village, hoping for the early return of her son.

The thirteen practitioners were tried by the Dehui City Court on April 9, 2021 and sentenced to prison on July 26. Judge Wang Rongfu blocked their lawyers from reviewing their case documents or representing them in court, citing a secret document that demands that the lawyers present letters showing they didn’t practice Falun Gong. The practitioners appealed with the Changchun City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold their verdicts in late November 2021.

More persecution account about Mr. Zhang has been detailed in an earlier report: “Elementary School Teacher Tried for His Faith after Nine Months in Custody.”

Below are more related reports about the group arrest and sentencing:

Thirteen Jilin Residents’ Appeals Against Wrongful Sentences Rejected, One of Them in a Coma in Critical Condition

Trial Court Judge Claims, “Murderers Can Hire Lawyers, But Not Falun Gong Practitioners!”

Husband Pleads for Wife’s Release in an Open Letter

Nong’an County, Jilin Province: Ten Falun Gong Practitioners Sentenced to Two to Ten Years in Prison
Filial Daughter Awaits Verdict for Her Faith

Arrested in a Police Sweep, Eight Jilin Residents Tried for Their Faith

Nong’an County, Jilin Province: 11 Arrested and 1 Harassed in 24 Hours

Fourteen Falun Gong Practitioners Targeted in Group Arrests in Jilin Province Remain in Custody

Father Dies 1.5 Months After His Arrest, Son Writes Letter Seeking Justice for Mother Facing Trial for Her Faith

Once Imprisoned for 11 Years, Jilin Man Dies a Month and a Half after Latest Arrest for His Faith