(Minghui.org) Still mourning the passing of her husband four months following her latest arrest for practicing Falun Gong, a retired teacher in Beijing was sentenced to a nine-year prison term for her faith.
Falun Gong is a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Yang Wanxin, 65, was arrested at home on August 21, 2020, by a group of plainclothes officers. Without showing their police IDs or a search warrant, the police ransacked her home and confiscated her computer, printer, and other personal belongings worth thousands of yuan.
Both Ms. Yang and her daughter were taken to the police station for interrogation. Her daughter was released a few hours later.
The police raid left Ms. Yang’s bedridden husband terrified. He became increasingly depressed over Ms. Yang’s detention and lost hope for living. His condition quickly declined and he passed away in December 2020.
In the same month, the police submitted Ms. Yang’s case to the Shijingshan District Procuratorate. The prosecutor indicted her four months later and moved her case to the Shijingshan District Court.
The court assigned judge Liu Changchang to be in charge of Ms. Yang’s case in July. Her daughter was denied from representing her in court.
Ms. Yang’s daughter was summoned to the court by judge Liu on July 23 for a meeting. She went there, only to be arrested by a dozen officers, who kicked her into a police van and interrogated her for over ten hours. Her home was ransacked again.
The young woman filed a complaint against judge Liu and demanded that he be recused from Ms. Yang’s case.
Instead of addressing the request from Ms. Yang’s daughter, the court blocked her family members from attending her hearing on August 31. A few family members were arrested when they went to the court, and they were all detained for a day.
The court informed Ms. Yang’s family on September 29 that she had been sentenced to a nine-year prison term. Ms. Yang has filed an appeal against the verdict.
Prior to her latest ordeal, Ms. Yang was once arrested at home on January 19, 2016. Although she was released around midnight, her Falun Gong books, computers, and printer were confiscated by the police.
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