(Minghui.org) A Dalian City, Liaoning Province resident was sentenced to four years for raising awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been targeted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Cong Xia was arrested on May 14, 2020 while putting up informational posters about Falun Gong. When her husband came home from work, he was shocked to see his home in a mess. The Falun Gong books and printer at home were gone.

After Ms. Cong’s arrest was approved, her husband went to the local police station to inquire about her case. The police refused to reveal anything and threatened to arrest him, leaving the government employee in tremendous pressure.

Ms. Cong’s arrest also dealt a heavy blow to her 86-year-old mother, who lives by herself. She cried whenever her other children went to visit her and ended up with a toothache and an oral ulcer.

Ms. Cong’s younger brother took their mother several times to the Xigang District Domestic Security Office to demand her release but to no avail.

The police later submitted Ms. Cong’s case to the Xigang District Procuratorate. She stood trial in February 2021 and was later sentenced to four years. She appealed with the intermediate court in July, which ruled to uphold her original verdict in October.

Due to a local coronavirus outbreak in Dalian, she hasn’t been transferred to the prison and is still held at the Dalian Detention Center at the time of writing.