(Minghui.org) A 74-year-old Kunming City, Yunnan Province resident was indicted on July 21, 2020, and is now facing trial by the Wuhua District Court for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Tong Xianzhen’s indictment by the Wuhua District Procuratorate came one year after she was sentenced to two years of supervised probation with 3,000 yuan fine by the Wuhua District Court on July 22, 2019, also for her faith.
Her new indictment issued on July 2, 2020, stated that she was charged with “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” a standard pretext used to criminalize Falun Gong practitioners.
The prosecutor also accused her of committing a new crime while still serving her previous term and that she would be facing “combined punishment for several crimes.” Her Falun Gong books and related materials confiscated from her home during her latest arrest on March 24, 2020, were included as prosecution evidence against her.
Latest Arrest
A group of seven officers knocked on Ms. Tong’s door at 11 p.m. on March 24, 2020. She and her son were woken up. She opened the door and the officers barged in. The police attempted to arrest her but were stopped by her son, who demanded an official arrest document from them.
A few officers left and returned with a search warrant. They confiscated Ms. Tong’s Falun Gong books and brought her to the local police station for interrogation. She was released around 5 a.m. on March 25.
The police returned on March 30 and brought Ms. Tong to the hospital for a thorough health examination. She was forced to undergo a CT scan, X-ray, and ultrasound scans. She also had blood and urine tests.
After sending her back home around midnight, the police came back around 1 p.m. on April 1 and brought her to the police station to collect her fingerprints and take her photo.
Ms. Tong was sent to the local detention center at around 8 p.m. on April 1 but was denied admission. The police then ordered her children to pay 3,000 yuan of bail bond and released her.
Between April 24 and May 29, two groups of officers stayed outside of Ms. Tong’s home and monitored her around the clock. They followed her wherever she went.
Ms. Tong received a call from the court staff on July 3 and was told to keep her cellphone with her, as they may summon her at any time.
Related report:
After Six Years of Imprisonment, 73-Year-Old Yunnan Woman Faces Prison Time for Her Faith Again
