(Minghui.org) Four Tangshan City, Hebei Province residents were tried on February 9, 2023, and two of them have been sentenced to two years and three months each for their faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Zhang Wei and his wife Ms. Guo Yanju, owners of the Zhuoyu Camera Store, were arrested on May 12, 2021, during a police sweep. Their employee, Ms. Sun Baifeng, and a former employee who doesn’t practice Falun Gong, Ms. Zhang Weiqi, was arrested on the same day.
Ms. Sun’s husband and Ms. Guo’s aunt, who both had health problems and witnessed their arrests, were terrified and soon passed away. Ms. Guo’s father was devastated by her arrest and his sister’s death and became blind. Mr. Zhang and Ms. Guo’s then-ten-year-old daughter was also left in a dire situation when both of them were detained.
Mr. Zhang’s mother spent 80,000 yuan on hiring a lawyer to represent him and his wife. Yet the local authorities forced the lawyer to withdraw from the case and then appointed a lawyer for them, who was instructed to enter a guilty plea for the couple.
After nearly two years in detention, both Mr. Zhang and Ms. Zhang were released on bail shortly before their hearing on February 9, 2023. Ms. Sun and Ms. Guo remain detained. Both women have appealed their verdicts after being sentenced.
Deaths of Two Family Members
Ms. Sun’s husband had severe diabetes and complications. Due to a medical accident, the blood vessel in his leg was clogged and his leg became black and blue. When the doctor had no way to help him, Ms. Sun encouraged him to recite the auspicious phrases “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Shortly after, his blood circulation returned to normal and he no longer needed amputation. He recovered quickly and was discharged from the hospital. He went out for a walk every morning and sometimes cooked dinner for Ms. Sun.
A group of plainclothes officers broke in the couple’s home on May 12, 2021, and arrested Ms. Sun. Her husband was so terrified that his condition quickly deteriorated. He was rushed to the hospital and stayed in the intensive care unit several times in the next few months. He passed away when he was at home by himself on February 1 (the eve of the 2022 Chinese New Year).
Ms. Guo was arrested while visiting her ailing aunt. A group of officers broke in her aunt’s home and seized her. The elderly woman was also terrified by the police and she passed away a few days later. The passing of his sister and the arrest of his daughter dealt Ms. Guo’s father a heavy blow. He soon lost his vision and struggled to care for himself.
Related reports:
Four Hebei Residents Facing Trial—Family Defender Denied Access to Their Case Documents
Tangshan City, Hebei Province: Eight Locals Remain Detained Following Recent Group Arrest
Tangshan City, Hebei Province: 26 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in One Day
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