After 8 Years in Prison, Shanghai Resident Sentenced to Another 9.5 Years by Out-of-Province Court

(Minghui.org) Having served eight years for practicing Falun Gong, a Shanghai resident was recently sentenced to 9.5 years with a 40,000-yuan fine by a court in Henan Province, about 600 miles from Shanghai, for speaking out about Falun Gong.

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

Ms. Dai Zhiying, 66, was arrested at home in Shanghai on April 12, 2021, by seven police officers from the local Ganquan Police Station. Her laptop and cellphone were confiscated without a search warrant. The Shanghai police handed her over to the police from Luoyang City, Henan Province, in the evening. She has been held in Luoyang since. 

Ms. Dai’s most recent sentencing dealt a heavy blow to her 88-year-old mother, who also practices Falun Gong. The elderly woman now struggles to live on her own and care for herself. 

Since 2019, the police in Henan have gone across the country and arrested multiple practitioners for spreading information about the persecution of Falun Gong online. Several of them have also been sentenced to prison.

Past Persecution of Ms. Dai

Ms. Dai took up Falun Gong in 1996. After the persecution began three years later, she has been repeatedly harassed and followed for not renouncing her faith. She was arrested in nearby Shandong Province in December 2000 and later sentenced to eight years by a Shanghai court. She endured brutal torture at the Songjiang Women’s Prison in Shanghai and was released in December 2008. 

Ms. Dai was arrested again in February 2010, after being deceived by a residential committee staff member into going to their office. She was held in custody for several days and later released. Staff from the 610 Office have been harassing her since.

Related report:

Hebei Resident Faces Prosecution in Henan for Posting Information on WeChat