(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 7 cities or counties in 4 provinces, where at least 17 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.

1. [Beijing] Ms. Ma Xiuyun’s and Her Husband Mr. Tang Pingshun’s Cases Turned Over to Procuratorate
2. [Laishui County, Hebei Province] Ms. Liu Yumin, 74, Faces Trial
3. [Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Dong Yanmei Faces Trial
4. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Four Practitioners Arrested
5. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Ms. Zhang Shuzhi and Ms. Li Qiuxiang Arrested
6. [Nanchong City, Sichuan Province] Hu Guoxiu and Ling Junhui Arrested
7. [Liaocheng City, Shandong Province] Seven Practitioners Arrested

1. [Beijing] Ms. Ma Xiuyun’s and Her Husband Mr. Tang Pingshun’s Cases Turned Over to Procuratorate

Ms. Ma Xiuyun and her husband Mr. Tang Pingshun from Shaoyaoju Residential Community, Chaoyang District, were arrested. Their cases were transferred to the procuratorate on December 8, 2022.

On October 6, 2022, officers from the Taiyanggong Police Station in Chaoyang District went to the home of Ms. Ma and Mr. Tang and threatened them, “Don’t go out during the pandemic.” Afterwards two people were stationed at the door of the couple’s home to monitor and follow them. A week later, their family members were not able to contact the couple.

On October 17, the couple’s daughter, who lives overseas, called the Taiyanggong police station to confirm that the police detained her parents, but the officers refused to disclose where her parents were being held. The couple’s lawyer recently found out from the Chaoyang District Procuratorate that the couple’s cases were turned over to the procuratorate.

Ms. Ma and her husband Mr. Tang were arrested by officers from the Chaoyang District Domestic Security Division, the 610 Office, and the Taiyanggong Police Station around 7 p.m. on June 9, 2022. The officers confiscated their Falun Gong books, photos of Falun Gong’s founder, a computer, and a printer. The couple was forced to take medical examinations and photographs. Due to the pandemic, the detention center refused to accept them. The couple was released on bail and returned home.

2. [Laishui County, Hebei Province] Ms. Liu Yumin, 74, Faces Trial

Ms. Liu Yumin, 74, was arrested at home on March 18, 2022. She was officially placed under arrest by officers from the Laishui County Police Department and the Laishui County Procuratorate. Her family recently received a court notice that Ms. Liu would be tried in the No. 1 Criminal Tribunal of Zhuozhou City Court on December 27, 2022.

Ms. Liu was an elementary school teacher. She was repeatedly persecuted by the Laishui County 610 Office, the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, the education bureau, and the police department for her belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. She was fired from her job, her home was ransacked many times, and she was arrested and detained. She suffered brutal torture several times, was in critical condition, and had to leave home for a long time to avoid further persecution. Her husband, Mr. Wu Yanshui, was also a Falun Gong practitioner. He was persecuted to death on May 20, 2001.

At around 2 p.m. on March 18, 2022, officers from the Baoding City Police Department, the Laishui County Police Department and the Laishui Town Police Station broke into Ms. Liu’s son’s home carrying guns. They arrested Ms. Liu and ransacked the place. When Ms. Liu’s daughter-in-law tried to stop them, the officers pointed a gun at her said, “Don’t you know that she is listed as wanted? You are harboring a criminal! If you don’t stop obstructing us, we will arrest you as well.”

The police successively detained Ms. Liu at the Laishui Town Police Station, the Laishui County Detention Center, and the Baoding City Detention Center. She went on a hunger strike in protest, abstaining from water, and refused to cooperate when the police interrogated her.

On July 5, 2022, the Laishui County Procuratorate transferred Ms. Liu’s case to Zhuozhou City Procuratorate, which in turn transferred the case to the Zhuozhou City Court.

3. [Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Dong Yanmei Faces Trial

Ms. Dong Yanmei has been arrested again and is being held in the Liaoyang City Detention Center. She will soon be tried by the Dengta City Court.

4. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Four Practitioners Arrested

Ms. Li Guitian and her daughter Ms. Guo Shuping were arrested at home by Shenhe District Domestic Security officer Ren Jie and four other police officers on the morning of October 17, 2022. The two practitioners were taken to the Lingyun Police Station. The officers ransacked Ms. Li’s home and confiscated her Falun Gong books, photos of the founder of Falun Gong, and a printer. The mother and daughter did not cooperate with the interrogation. The officers issued a residential surveillance penalty.

Mr. Liu Defu and his wife Ms. Liu Liping were arrested at home by officers from the Lingyun Police Station in the Shenhe District on the afternoon of October 17, 2022. The officers confiscated two Falun Gong books and printed materials. The couple refused to answer questions when they were interrogated at the police station. They were released that evening.

5. [Tangshan City, Hebei Province] Ms. Zhang Shuzhi and Ms. Li Qiuxiang Arrested

When Ms. Zhang Shuzhi was clarifying the truth at the Kaiping District farmers market around 8 a.m. on November 23, 2022, five plainclothes officers rummaged through her bag, confiscated over 20 booklets, and her car. She was taken to the Kaiping Police Station. At the police station, the officers asked her where the booklets came from, and who was at the market with her. They told her to sit in an iron chair, which she refused. The officers questioned her and took notes. She refused to sign the transcript.

The officers used Ms. Zhang’s phone to contact her daughter, who was ordered to take them to her home. The officers ransacked the place and confiscated photos of the founder of Falun Gong and amulets. Ms. Zhang returned home safely after 9 p.m. that night.

Around 9 a.m. on December 22, when Ms. Li Qiuxiang was distributing calendars with information about Falun Gong at the farmers market, she was forcibly carried into a car by two plainclothes officers from the Liyuan Police Station. They searched her to see if she carried a cell phone. At the police station, the officers asked her where she was from and what her name was. After taking a few photos, the officers identified Ms. Li and found out her name, address, and national ID number based on a national database. When they interrogated her, they drafted questions and answered the questions themselves. Ms. Li refused to sign the falsified interrogation transcript. That afternoon, when the officers sent Ms. Li home, they ransacked her place and confiscated New Year paintings, lucky characters, and stickers with information about Falun Gong.

6. [Nanchong City, Sichuan Province] Hu Guoxiu and Ling Junhui Arrested

Ms. Hu Guoxiu from the Shunqing District was arrested at home by officers from the Jialing District Domestic Security Division on September 26, 2022. The officers ransacked her home and confiscated her Falun Gong books. Ms. Hu was held in the Nanchong City Detention Center.

Ling Junhui from the Shunqing District was arrested at home by officers from the Jialing District Domestic Security Division on September 20, 2022. Ling’s home was ransacked. Ling was also held in the Nanchong City Detention Center.

On December 13, both practitioners were released on bail by the Jialing District Procuratorate.

7. [Liaocheng City, Shandong Province] Seven Practitioners Arrested

Seven practitioners, Li Chuanlu, Sun Yurong, Liu Mingsen, Shang Sufang, Wang Chengguo, Xu Jinfeng, and Lu Jinyu, were arrested for the second time on the afternoon of November 7, 2022. On the afternoon of December 23, Wang Chengguo and Liu Mingsen developed medical conditions, and were taken home after their family members wrote guarantee letters for them. All seven practitioners have since returned home.

It was also reported that their case files were returned when they were sent to the Dong’e County Procuratorate for the first time. The Chiping District Domestic Security Division provided supplementary evidence and sent it to the procuratorate again and demanded a heavy sentence. The procuratorate advised that the seven practitioners be sentenced to between one year and eight and a half years.