(Minghui.org) Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, hundreds of thousands of its practitioners and their families have been made to suffer for informing others of the facts about Falun Gong. Condemning practitioners to lengthy prison terms is still the norm in China. Twenty such practitioners from the Luzhou region in Sichuan Province alone have been identified.

Incidents of Persecution in 2016

In 2016, many practitioners were illegally detained and sentenced in Sichuan Province. The Minghui website has been able to confirm the identities of nine of them from Luzhou. Six were sentenced and taken to prison. Two others were tried, but have received no verdict. The one remaining is being detained and has not yet been tried.

1. Mr. Liao Ting Given a Three-Year Prison Term

Mr. Liao Ting, a 27-year-old civil servant, was last arrested on December 17, 2015, for distributing Falun Gong informational materials. He was tried on April 19 and again on September 27 in 2016, in the Gulin District Court. Despite strong evidence presented by his attorney, Mr. Liao was sentenced to four years in prison.

The sentence was changed to three years after Mr. Liao appealed to Luzhou Intermediate People's Court. He was taken to Leshan City Jiazhou Prison in November 2016. His mother died while he was incarcerated. He was not allowed to attend her funeral.

Participants in the persecution of Mr. Liao:

Li Yong (李永), presiding judge, Gulin Court: +86-15892912020 (Cell)Li Jun (李军), prosecutor, Gulin Court: +86-830-710-3241 (Office)Wan Xiaobo (万晓波), presiding judge, Luzhou Intermediate People's Court: +86-15183063339 (Cell)

2. Ms. Liu Xiaolin Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Ms. Liu Xiaolin, a 40-year-old teacher, was arrested in November 2015 for filing a criminal lawsuit against former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin. She has been detained in the Luzhou City Naxi Detention Center ever since. Her husband, also a practitioner, was forced to leave home to avoid being arrested.

Ms. Liu was secretly tried and sentenced to five years in prison on October 14, 2016, and immediately taken to Chengdu Longquan Women's Prison.

3. Ms. Zhao Zhaoquan Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison

Ms. Zhao Zhaoquan, a 78-year-old retired teacher, was twice taken by police officers to witness trials as a form of intimidation. Eventually she herself was tried. She was sentenced to two and a half years and fined 3,000 yuan at the second trial on November 25, 2016.

In the past, Ms. Zhao has been taken to brainwashing centers three times and imprisoned in a forced labor camp for two years. She also had 15,000 yuan extorted from her for speaking up for Falun Gong in Beijing. Her monthly pension has been cut to 200 yuan. http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/6/16/61916.html

4. Ms. Cheng Sigui Given a Two-Year Prison Term

Ms. Cheng Sigui, a 76-year-old retired mine worker, was arrested on August 30, 2015, for carrying Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs. She was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 3,000 yuan at her second trial on October 27, 2016. Her family received the verdict on December 6.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Cheng:

Sun Hua (孙华), presiding judge, Luzhou Jiangyang District Court: +86-830-310-3296 (Office)Ren Chongming (任崇明), prosecutor, Jiangyang District Procuratorate: +86-830-310-0168 (Office)Qiao Jianhua (乔建华), captain, Domestic Security Brigade: +86-13678303098

5. Ms. Zhang Guangxian Appealing a Three-Year Prison Term

Ms. Zhang Guangxian, a retired factory worker who is about 70 years old, was last arrested on January 26, 2016, for handing out informational materials and has been held in a detention center ever since. She was severely persecuted in forced labor camps twice in the past.

Ms. Zhang was first sentenced to one year in prison. When she refused to sign the verdict, her term was increased to three years. She has filed an appeal with the intermediate court.

6. Ms. Cao Naixin Given a Two-Year Prison Term

Ms. Cao, a 65-year-old retired manufacturing worker, was arrested for distributing Falun Gong information in April 2016. She was secretly tried without her family being present and sentenced to two years in prison.

In the past Ms. Cao was arrested several times and incarcerated in forced labor camps twice. She almost collapsed mentally because of the brutal persecution in the labor camp.

7. Ms. Liang Wende Detained and Tried in Secret

Ms. Liang Wende, a 62-year-old civil servant, has been detained in Luzhou Naixi Detention Center since her arrest on December 28, 2015. She was tried by Jiangyang District Court on July 11, 2016. Her attorney was prohibited from attending the trial.

Before this latest arrest, Ms. Liang had been taken to brainwashing centers five times and detained twice in forced labor camps for a total of four and a half years. She was severely persecuted, physically, mentally, and financially.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Liang:

Sun Hua (孙华), presiding judge, Luzhou Jiangyang District Court: +86-830-310-3296 (office)

8. Ms. Luo Shuizhen Detained and Tried

Ms. Luo Shuizhen, a 62-year-old construction worker, was tried in Luzhou Naxi Detention Center by the Jiangyang District Court on September 20, 2016. She was arrested and taken to the detention center in March.

Before this, Ms. Luo had been held in forced labor camps for a total of five years. She was also detained for ten months for speaking up for Falun Gong in Beijing. Her husband was incarcerated for three years in a forced labor camp. Her family has suffered greatly.

9. Ms. Feng Dequn Detained

Ms. Feng Dequn was arrested at her daughter's workplace by Luxian Police Department officers on December 29, 2016. They deceived her into going with them to “sign documents to get her pension re-issued.” She was taken to Luzhou Naixi Detention Center because she was supposedly “on the run.” She was arrested several months ago, but was released on bail because of her high blood pressure.

Previous Incidents of Persecution

The Minghui website also identified 11 practitioners from the Luzhou region, who were sentenced prior to 2016 and are currently incarcerated.

1. Ms. Huang Chaozhen Given a Five-Year Prison Term

Ms. Huang Chaozhen, in her 50s, was arrested in October 2012. She was first tried in May 2013. She was sentenced to five years in prison in the Jiangyang District Court at her second trial on November 19, 2013, even though her attorney put up a strong defense. She has been detained at the Chengdu Longquan Women's Prison for four years.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Huang:

Kang Lu (康泸), presiding judge, Jiangyang District Court: +86-830-310-3680Ren Chongming (任崇明), prosecutor, Jiangyang District Procuratorate: +86-830-310-0168 (Office)Wang Xu (王旭), director, Jiangyang District 610 Office: +86-13980256779 (Cell)Fan Jianping (樊建平): +86-13909088830Chen Xiaoquan (陈孝全), police officer: +86-13659046975(Cell)

2. Ms. Zhao Ronggui Sentenced to Four Years in Prison

Ms. Zhao Ronggui, around 60, was arrested from home on April 22, 2014. She had been arrested and detained several times since the persecution began in 1999.

Ms. Zhao was secretly tried and sentenced to four years in prison in the Luzhou Jiangyang District Court on October 31, 2014. She is currently detained in Chengdu Women's Prison.

3. Ms. Yang Taizhen Given a Four-Year Prison Term

Ms. Yang Taizhen, a civil servant in her 60s, was arrested on September 21, 2014, and detained in Luzhou Naixi Detention Center. She was sentenced by Naixi Court to four years on March 11, 2015. She was taken to Chengdu Longquan Women's Prison on April 15, 2015.

4. Ms. Yang Taiying Given Four and a Half Years in Prison

Ms. Yang Taiying, a civil servant in her 40s, was arrested from home on June 16, 2013. She was given four years and six months in prison at her first trial on May 16, 2014. The Jiangyang District Court in Luzhou did not change the term, and the Intermediate People's Court in Luzhou also upheld the original verdict. She is the younger sister of Ms. Yang Taizhen.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Yang Taiying:

Fan Jianping(樊建平), captain, Domestic Security: +86-13909088830

5. Ms. Yi Qunren Detained, Tried, and Imprisoned

Ms. Yi Qunren, a 48-year-old villager, was arrested on November 1, 2013, for handing out Falun Gong materials. She was also arrested in 2003 and incarcerated for a year in a forced labor camp.

Ms. Yi was sentenced on June 24, 2014. She appealed to the Luzhou Intermediate People's Court, but the original verdict was upheld. She was taken to Chengdu Longquan Women's Prison on July 15, 2015.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Yi:

Chen Qisong (陈启松), presiding judge, Luxian People's Court: +86-830-819-3080Zong Yuming (钟宇明), prosecutor, Luxian Procuratorate: +86-830-819-2652Li Xudong (李旭东), presiding judge, Luzhou Intermediate People's Court: +86-15884178700 (Cell)

6. Ms. Tang Minghai Given a Four-Year Prison Term

Ms. Tang Minghai, 66, was arrested on April 22, 2014 for giving out Falun Gong DVDs. She was secretly tried and sentenced to four years in prison six months later. She and her family immediately filed an appeal, but the Luzhou Intermediate People's Court rejected the evidence provided and upheld the original verdict in a trial on March 20, 2015.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Tang:

Sun Hua (孙华), presiding judge, Jiangyang District Court: +86-830-310-3296 (office)Ceng Qiang (曾強), prosecutor, Jiangyang District Procuratorate: +86-830-310-0168 (office)Li Xudong (李旭东), presiding judge, Luzhou Intermediate People's Court: +86-15884178700 (cell)

7. Ms. Luo Lingrong Sentenced to Three Years

Ms. Luo Lingrong, a 62-year-old villager, was arrested on May 23, 2014. She was tried on January 6, 2015. Her family was not allowed to attend the trial. She was sentenced to three years in prison in the Jiangyang District Court on June 1, 2015.

Luzhou Intermediate People's Court upheld the original verdict in a second trial on September 18, 2015. She is now held in Chengdu Longquan Women's Prison.

8. Ms. Gao Xianying Given Three and a Half Years in Prison

Ms. Gao Xianying, 73, was arrested along with Ms. Luo Lingrong. She was released on bail after the detention center refused to accept her. She was tried with Ms. Luo on January 6, 2015, and sentenced to three years and six months in prison on June 1.

Participants in the persecution of Ms. Luo and Ms. Gao:

Xu Fanfan (徐翻翻), presiding judge, Jiangyang District Court: +86-830-310-3296Li Xudong (李旭东), presiding judge, Luzhou Intermediate People's Court: +86-15884178770 (Office)Wang Hongchun (王洪春), instructor, Luzhou Domestic Security Department: +86- 15884185666

9. Mr. Wang Jiansheng Given Seven and a Half Years

Mr. Wang Jiansheng, a Xuyong County resident, was arrested on July 16, 2013. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in the Xingwen Court at a second trial on June 24, 2014. He was taken to Leshan Jiazhou Prison.

Participants in the persecution of Mr. Wang:

Liu Qingwen (刘清文), police officer, Xingwen County Procuratorate: +86-13990917060 (cell)Lin Xin (林 鑫), police officer, Xingwen County Procuratorate: +86-13700990188 (cell)

10. Mr. Li Qun Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

Mr. Li Qun, also a Xuyong County resident, was arrested with four other practitioners on September 10, 2014. He was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Jiangyou Court on December 2, 2015.

11. Ms. Wang Manqun Given a Three Years and Six Months in Prison

Ms. Wang Manqun, a 70-year-old retired worker, has been detained in Luzhou Naixi Detention Center ever since her arrest on September 16, 2014. She was reportedly sentenced to three and a half years in prison in July 2015. She was also given a four-year term in April 2006.