Three Hunan Residents Sentenced for Practicing Falun Gong, Barred from Appealing Wrongful Convictions

(Minghui.org) Three Xupu County, Hunan Province, residents were sentenced to prison on May 7, 2025 because they practice faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Yang Lanying, a 67-year-old retired teacher, was sentenced to three and a half years. Ms. Mao Yanping and Ms. Wang Juying were each given three years. The court didn’t inform their family members of the trial and didn’t allow the practitioners to appeal the verdicts.

The three practitioners were arrested on April 24, 2024, during a police sweep ordered by Zheng Zhongbing, the director of the Xupu County 610 Office, and Xia Haofeng, the head of the Domestic Security Division. Four other practitioners, including Ms. Shu Qiuju, Ms. Zhang Yugui, Ms. Gao Xingying, and Ms. Zhang Yuancui, were arrested that day.

Hours after their arrests, Ms. Zhang Yugui, Ms. Gao, and Ms. Zhang Yuancui were released and the other four practitioners were admitted to the Xupu County Lockup. Ms. Yang, Ms. Mao and Ms. Wang were transferred to the Huaihua City Detention Center the next day and later released. Ms. Shu’s situation remains unknown.

Ms. Mao and Ms. Wang were arrested again by officers from the Xupu County Police Department on February 27, 2025 and detained at the Huaihua City Detention Center. They were tried by the Yuanling County Court on May 7, 2025, together with Ms. Yang. It’s not clear when Ms. Yang was arrested again.

Yuanling County is 80 miles from Xupu County. Both are under the jurisdiction of Huaihua City.

The practitioners’ families were kept in the dark of their case status after their arrests. It wasn’t until June 18, 2025 that they found out about their loved ones’ prison sentences on May 7, 2025. The families also confirmed on June 19 that the judge didn’t allow the practitioners to appeal.

Arrests and Harassment in Recent Years

Prior to their latest persecution, all three practitioners were repeatedly arrested and harassed for their faith.

Ms. Yang and Ms. Mao were arrested on May 29, 2016 for distributing Falun Gong informational materials. They were first detained for 15 days and then transferred to the Huaihua Brainwashing Center.

Ms. Yang and Ms. Mao were arrested again at their respective homes on May 8, 2020, for distributing Falun Gong materials in front of the Xupu County Government. They were each also given a 15-day detention.

Ms. Mao and Ms. Wang were arrested another time on January 9, 2021, again for distributing Falun Gong materials. Each of them was detained for 15 days.

Starting in June 2023, the Xupu County Domestic Security Division ordered the police to follow and monitor local practitioners. Over ten practitioners, including Ms. Yang, Ms. Mao and Ms. Wang, were arrested on the evening of October 16. They were detained for an unknown amount of time.

The Yuanling County Court

In addition to the three practitioners, at least five other practitioners were also sentenced to prison by the Yuanling County Court. Due to the information censorship in China, the actual numer of practitioners sentenced by the Yuanling County Court is expected to be much higher.

Ms. Dai Liyun, in her 70s, was arrested in February 2001 for printing Falun Gong materials. She was sentenced to five years.

Mr. Xiong Yijian, then in his 30s, was arrested in April 2001 for urging 610 Office agents to stop persecuting Falun Gong. He was sentenced to three years.

Ms. Xuan Hehua, now 73, was arrested in February 2001 for putting up a banner that said “Falun Dafa is good” and she was sentenced to four years. She was arrested again on May 14, 2008 and sentenced to another four years by the Yuanling County Court.

Ms. Peng Guoqing, now 72, was arrested in February 2001 for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to three and a half years. The police seized her at home again on September 18, 2009 and the Yuanling County Court gave her four years. She was arrested again on June 16, 2014, after being reported for distributing Falun Gong materials, and was sentenced the third time by the same court. Following yet another arrest on July 16, 2019 for mailing letters with information about Falun Gong, she was given the fourth prison term, three years.

Mr. Li Dianxing, the former deputy chief at Yuanling County Water Resource Bureau, was arrested in November 2020 for distributing Falun Gong materials. He was sentenced to six months by the Yuanling County Court on November 30, 2021. He was admitted to the Wangling Prison on July 14, 2022 and released on January 13, 2023.

An employee from Yuanling County Human Resources and Social Security went to Mr. Li’s home on April 3, 2023 and demanded he return a portion of the pension he received. The person claimed that because Mr. Li wasn’t entitled to retirement benefits while serving a previous prison term for his faith, he was required to return the funds he received during that time. Mr. Li was so angry and upset that he had a stroke. He died later that day. He was 84.