(Minghui.org) A woman in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province is appealing a three-year sentence for practicing Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Li Yuanyou, 62, was arrested on September 3, 2018, for giving out information about Falun Gong. She was first held in Nanming Detention Center and then transferred to Sanjiang Detention Center. Her arrest was approved on October 1.

The Nanming District Court scheduled a hearing on June 13, 2019. More than two dozen local Falun Gong practitioners and her family waited for hours outside the courthouse, only to be arrested and had their biometrics taken. 

Ms. Li’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea for her and argued that she didn’t violate any law for possessing or distributing Falun Gong materials. The judge adjourned the hearing in a rush.

Ms. Li appeared in court for the second time on October 25 and was sentenced to three years in late December. She has filed an appeal with Guiyang City Intermediate Court.

Related report:

Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested While Trying to Attend Hearing of Local Woman, Biometrics Taken