(Minghui.org) A Jiyuan City, Henan Province resident and his mother were both sentenced to prison five months after they were arrested for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

A group of officers scaled the fence with a ladder and went into Mr. Ren Zhaojun’s front yard on July 13, 2020. They broke into Mr. Ren’s home and confiscated his computer, printer, cellphone, bank debit cards, deposit slips, and his Falun Gong books.

Mr. Ren, 33, and his parents, Mr. Ren Zonglu, 68, and Ms. Wang Qingying, 69, were all arrested and taken to the Jiyuan City Detention Center.

While the older Mr. Ren was released on bail a month later, his wife and son remained in custody and were indicted by the Jiyuan City Procuratorate.

The younger Mr. Ren and Ms. Wang were tried by the Jiyuan City Court on December 25, 2020. They pleaded not guilty.

Four days later, the judge sentenced Mr. Ren to five years with a 25,000 yuan fine, and Ms. Wang to two and a half years with a 6,000 yuan fine. Both of them appealed with the Jiyuan City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold the verdicts.

Ms. Wang was taken to the Henan Province Women’s Prison on March 12, 2021. Mr. Ren remains incarcerated at the Jiyuan City Detention Center at the time of writing.

Prior to his latest sentencing, Mr. Ren was arrested and detained in October 2015 for filing a criminal complaint against Jiang Zemin, the former head of the communist regime who ordered the persecution of Falun Gong.