78-year-old Woman Faces Prison Time for Practicing Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) A 78-year-old woman in Jingjiang City, Jiangsu Province is facing a prison sentence for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Zhou Ailan talked to a man about Falun Gong on the street in 2021, not knowing that he was a police officer. He refused to listen and began to harass her. He fined her son 1,000 yuan (as she didn’t have income to pay for the fine) and threatened to sentence her.

The Jingjiang City Court arraigned Ms. Zhou on March 18, 2022. It’s been reported that the judge was planning to sentence her to two years. More details about her case remain to be investigated.

Below is Ms. Zhou’s own defense statement.

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Before I took up Falun Gong, I was often dizzy and had high blood pressure. Pain from pancreatitis also prevented me from doing household chores. My children often had to take time off work to take me to see doctors.

One day when I was checking our family’s farm, I felt dizzy and almost collapsed. But it happened that someone was standing behind me and she held me. She invited me several times to learn Falun Gong. She told me that the practice has very good effect on improving health. So I went. To my surprise, it was indeed very effective. My health soon improved and my family’s financial burden for my medical expense was immediately lifted.

Two years ago, I was hit by a car while crossing the street. I flew in the air for a few meters. If Master (the founder of Falun Gong) didn’t save my life, I would have died right then.

I have benefited so much by practicing Falun Gong. Yet many people still don’t know what it’s all about and believed the regime’s demonizing lies against it. I feel obligated to tell people about this great practice, which can improve their health without charging a penny.

Last year, I was going grocery shopping when someone appeared to be badly sick on the street. This reminded me of how I was introduced to Falun Gong. I wanted to help him. So I told him my story, only to be reported by him. Despite that, I don’t hold any grudge against him. I knew he was deceived.

When I was taken to the Jingjiang Court on March 18, 2022, I was told that the prosecutor indicted me based on Article 300 of the Criminal Law, which stipulates that anyone using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

This accusation is absolutely wrong. According to the Constitution, citizens are entitled to the right to freedom of spiritual belief. If you look at the cult list published by the Public Security Bureau, it didn’t include Falun Gong.

Now the persecution has lasted more than 20 years, and no law has ever criminalized Falun Gong or labeled it a cult in China. On the contrary, Falun Gong has been spread to the whole world.

You should reflect on yourselves whether you are upholding the law or delivering a wrongful conviction. I heard the judge was planning to sentence me to two years with a 1,500 yuan fine. The police already fined my son 1,000 yuan. I’m 78 years old now and I don’t have any income.

Is the government following the law at all? You are calling yourselves the people’s government, the people’s police and the people’s courts. You are supposed to serve the people, but now you are persecuting the people.

The divine is watching us. We Falun Gong practitioners didn’t do anything wrong. For your own future, I hope you can follow your conscience and won’t persecute good people anymore.