(Minghui.org) After spending months at a brainwashing center and a detention center, a resident in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province was sentenced to one year and ten months for her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Xu Zhufen was arrested in August 2020 and taken to a brainwashing center, where she was tortured and ordered to sign statements to renounce Falun Gong. After the brainwashing session was over, she was transferred to the Shangyu District Detention Center for further persecution.
On December 22, 2020, Ms. Xu appeared in Shengzhou City Court. According to her family who attended the hearing, she was very weak and emaciated from the abuses in custody. The judge sentenced her to one year and ten months in late January 2021.
Another two practitioners in Shaoxing, Ms. Xu Huini (no relation to Ms. Xu Zhufen) and Ms. Wang Wenjuan, were also sentenced to one year and ten months at the same time.
This is the third time that Ms. Xu Zhufen has been sentenced for her faith in Falun Gong. Shortly after the onset of the persecution, she and her husband, Mr. Cai Xingang, were sentenced to 5.5 and 5 years respectively. Ms. Xu served time at the Qiaosi Women’s Prison in Hangzhou City.
Mr. Cai was arrested again on June 26, 2014. Four days later, Ms. Xu was also arrested. Both of them were held at the Shangyu District Detention Center. Their 14-year-old daughter was left at home alone. Ms. Xu’s sister and other family members went to the police station several times to demand their release, only to be beaten and driven away by force. Ms. Xu’s sister was severely injured as a result.
The couple stood trial at the Shangyu District Court on April 23, 2015. Their lawyers entered a not-guilty plea for them. The judge sentenced Ms. Xu to 3.5 years and Mr. Cai to 7 years and 2 months on June 25, 2015.
