(Minghui.org) Five practitioners in Jilin City, Jilin Province, were arrested between March and July 2019 for their faith in Falun Gong. One of them is out on bail, while the other four are at different stages in the prosecution process.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Liang Chunhua was arrested on March 17, 2019, after the police found her using paper currency that had messages about Falun Gong printed on the bills. They confiscated about 10,000 yuan banknotes that she had with her.
Due to the strict information censorship in China, Falun Gong practitioners use creative ways, including printing messages on banknotes, to raise awareness about the persecution of their faith.
After holding her in detention for ten days, the police took her to her home and ransacked it. They confiscated her bank deposit books and her salary bank card. Then they took her to Jilin City Detention Center.
Ms. Liang was later sentenced and is now in Jilin Province Women's Prison. The details of her trial and sentence are unknown.
The police knocked on Mr. Zhang Yong's door early on July 19, 2019. Once the door was open, they rushed in and put handcuffs on him and his wife, Ms. Ma Ying. When Mr. Zhang resisted, the officers put shackles on him, too. Another practitioner, Ms. Gai Suqin, who happened to be visiting the couple, was arrested as well. The police ransacked Mr. Zhang’s home.
They covered the three practitioners' heads with black plastic bags and took them to the Changyi District Police Department. The practitioners had trouble breathing.
Ms. Ma was released on bail because of her health. Mr. Zhang and Ms. Gai were taken to Jilin City Detention Center.
Ms. Gai was tried on June 2, 2020. Mr. Zhang has been indicted and is now awaiting trial by the Chuanying Court.
Mr. Chen Jihai, 67, was arrested around 2 a.m. on July 19, 2019, after the police broke his windows and barged into his home.
The police arrested Mr. Chen and his wife, who doesn’t practice Falun Gong and was just discharged from the hospital. They ransacked his residence and confiscated his Falun Gong books and other personal belongings. They then interrogated the couple in the police station.
His wife was later released. Mr. Chen is being held in the detention center and awaiting trial by the Chuanying Court.
Because he has refused to give up his faith, Mr. Chen has been tortured, detained, subjected to brainwashing, and harassed and had his home ransacked during the past decade. Details of his ordeal can be read at: After Repeated Harassment and Arrests, Jilin Man Targeted for His Faith Again