(Minghui.org) Five residents of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, were arrested at a private home on February 15, 2023, for their faith, Falun Gong. Two of them have now been sentenced to prison.
Falun Gong is a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Guan Zhiyong, 42, was hosting four guests, including Ms. Cai Baoju, 61, Ms. Liu Guiqin, 62, Ms. Shi Shumei, 78, and Ms. Chu (first name unknown), 84, around 1:30 p.m. on February 15, 2023, when four police cruisers pulled up. The police broke in and yelled, “Freeze! No talking!” They ordered Mr. Guan to cooperate with them and said they were from the Yingchengzi Police Station in Hunnan District, Shenyang City.
Mr. Guan lives in the Sujiatun District and it’s unclear why the Yingchengzi Police Station which is located in the Hunnan District, was involved. One possible reason was that the police may have targeted one of his guests, Ms. Cai, a Hunnan District resident.
Ms. Cai was sentenced to five years in prison by the Economic Development Zone Court in Shenyang City earlier this year. It was recently learned that the same court also sentenced Mr. Guan to three years and ten months. The details of both practitioners’ indictment, trial, and sentencing remain to be investigated.
More Details on the Arrests
Mr. Guan argued that he broke no laws. The police twisted his arms behind his back and cuffed his hands. He demanded to know if they had a search warrant, and one officer flashed something that looked like an ID card without allowing him to see what it was.
The police confiscated Mr. Guan’s cash, bankbooks, computer, and many other valuables. They also took his four guests’ house keys.
The five practitioners were taken to the Yingchengzi Police Station and interrogated separately. The police searched them and took their pictures and fingerprints.
Ms. Shi later said that the police questioned her and asked where she worked before she retired and who introduced her to Falun Gong, gave her Falun Gong books, and many other things. The police also showed her two photos and asked if she knew the practitioners in the photos. She said no.
Ms. Cai refused to cooperate with the search. The police held her down and cut open her clothes with a pair of scissors. Her bra was cut off as a result. The police forcibly collected her blood sample as well.
The police took the four female practitioners to their respective homes. It was obvious to the practitioners that the police knew their home addresses and phone numbers. The police confiscated Ms. Liu’s computer, Falun Gong books, and music player; Ms. Cai’s computer and other valuables; Ms. Shi’s Falun Gong book and music player.
Ms. Shi and Ms. Chu were released around 11 p.m. that night. Ms. Liu and Ms. Cai were released on March 18 and put under residential surveillance. Mr. Guan is still held at the Hunnan District Detention Center.
Ms. Cai and Mr. Guan Sentenced to Prison
The Hunnan District Police Department took Ms. Cai back into custody on March 23. She was later sentenced to five years and fined 10,000 yuan by the Economic Development Zone Court in Shenyang City. Other details of her prosecution remain to be investigated. She is currently held at the Shenyang City First Detention Center.
The Hunnan District Procuratorate returned Mr. Guan’s case to the Yingchengzi Police Station, but the police refused to release him. It was recently learned that the Economic Development Zone Court sentenced him to three years and ten months. He was a physician at a local orthopedic hospital, but lost his job after he was previously sentenced to one year in prison for practicing Falun Gong.
It’s unclear whether Ms. Liu has been tried yet.
Related reports:
Shenyang City, Liaoning Province: Five Arrested at a Private Home, One Sentenced to 5 Years
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