Issued by Clearwisdom Net
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After being detained for ten months, Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Wang Yaojun and Ms. Guo Shuzhen were sentenced to seven years in prison on November 16, 2008. Two days later, Ms. Guo's daughter was sentenced to eight years in jail.
Mr. Chen Xiaoyan had been detained and arrested on different occasions since the persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999. On November 11, 2008, he was arrested again and is facing trial.
Ms. Wang Yaojun and Ms. Guo Shuzhen, Both Over 60, Sentenced To Seven Years in Jail
On November 16, 2008, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Yaojun and Ms. Guo Shuzhen were sentenced to seven years in jail in Jianshan District Court, Shuangyashan City, Heilongjiang Province. They had been detained for over 10 months.
Photo of Ms. Guo Shuzhen
Ms. Guo Shuzhen, 62 years old, lived in Jianshan District in Shuangyashan City. At around 9:00 a.m. on January 9, 2008, officers from Xiangyang Police Station raided her home while no one was there. They stole 7000 yuan in cash as well as several valuable items of personal property. Later Ms. Guo and three other relatives were arrested. Her relatives were released after being detained for over 25 hours. She was taken to Shuangyashan Detention Center.
Ms. Wang Yaojun, 61, also lived in Jianshan District, Shuangyashan City. On the morning of January 7, 2008, she was arrested while she was outside. The police raided her home around 11 a.m. and stole about ten boxes of materials and other miscellaneous items. Ms. Wang was brutally tortured while she was illegally detained in Xiangyang Police Station. She was locked up in handcuffs and shackles that weighed over 20 kg. She was deprived of sleep for three days and two nights. Her eyes were blackened with bruises. Her legs were beaten so badly that she couldn't even get in the bed in the detention center although it was only 20 inches off the ground.
On the afternoon of January 7, 2008, Ms. Wang's grandson, who is about eight or nine years old, was snatched away from the very door of his grandmother's home, which was being monitored by plainclothes police. They took the boy to the local police station and threatened to not let him go home unless he cooperated with them. He was made to look at photos to identify those people who had contact with his grandmother. He recognized Ms. Guo's daughter Tian Xiaoxuan. Two days later, the police raided Ms. Tian's home and abducted her family members as hostage. Ms. Tian Xiaoxuan was arrested in Baoqing County in June 2008. She was sentenced to eight years in jail on November 18, 2008, just two days after her mother was sentenced.
The Persecution of 70-Year-Old Mr. Chen Xiaoyan in Ruichang City, Jiangxi Province
Mr. Chen Xiaoyan, who is in his seventies, is a Falun Gong practitioner in Ruichang City, Jiangxi Province. On the afternoon of November 11, 2008, Chen Xiaoyan's home was broken into and raided by officers from Ruichang City 610 Office, Ruichang City Police Department and Yicheng District Police Branch. None of these officers showed any legal documents or even their ID as they started to ransack the home. They took Mr. Chen's personal laptop computer, a printer, MP3 players, a copy of Zhuan Falun, and other personnel property. After the police thoroughly ransacked his house, Chen Xiaoyan was then illegally removed from his home. Finally, on December 11, 2008, the City Procuratorate formally approved his arrest. Mr. Chen's mother is 98 years old. She lives with her son and is dependent on him.
Mr. Chen Xiaoyan was a retiree from the Goods and Materials Bureau of Ruichang City. He was a teacher when he was young, but had to be transferred to the Goods and Materials Bureau because of a severe ulcer. During the Cultural Revolution, he was severely injured after being beaten by the Red Guards, which left him in long-term pain due to injuries all over his body. Later, he was diagnosed with other diseases, including hepatitis and piles, which required him to have to take medication every day. He had to retire early due to his poor health. Because of his poor health, Mr. Chen could never relax, and was always agitated.
In April 1997, someone lent Mr. Chen the book Zhuan Falun. After reading the book three times, Chen Xiaoyan started practicing the Falun Gong exercises. Then his persistent ulcer, hepatitis and other illnesses, which he had for several years, disappeared. People told him that he looked younger and younger. Many people learned how wonderful the practice is because of the miracles taking place in Mr. Chen, and some also started practicing Falun Gong.
After July 20, 1999, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong, Chen Xiaoyan persisted in his belief. Because he often told others how good Falun Gong is, he was persecuted on different occasions.
Mr. Chen had been sent to a brainwashing center in Ruichang City. He was arrested in May 2003, and was detained for two weeks. In March 2004, he was arrested again and detained for three months. He contracted pulmonary tuberculosis while detained, and thus was released and sent home because of it. He quickly recovered after practicing the exercises. On November 11, 2008, he was illegally arrested again and was formally pronounced under arrest on December 11, 2008