(Minghui.org) Mr. Li Desheng, 22, of Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, was sentenced to four years for speaking out for Falun Gong. Two months after he was transferred to prison, his 55-year-old father, Mr. Li Aimin, was scheduled to stand trial on March 31, 2023, also for his 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. Li Desheng exchanged 30 one-yuan bills for 3 ten-yuan bills at a shop on June 21, 2021. Upon finding out that the bills had information about Falun Gong printed on them, the shop owner, surnamed Zhu, reported him, resulting in his arrest three days later. His Falun Gong books, computer, printer, cellphone, flash drive, as well as the paper currency on which he had printed Falun Gong messages, were all confiscated.
Due to strict information censorship in China, many Falun Gong practitioners printed messages on paper currency to raise awareness about the persecution.
Zhu later received a 6,000-yuan reward from the local “Anti-cult Association,” sponsored by the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, an extra-judiciary agency tasked with overseeing the persecution.
Mr. Li was first taken to the Huazhou Police Station and then to the Haizhu District Detention Center. His arrest was approved by the Haizhu District Procuratorate on July 26, 2021.
Judge Wang Jie of Haizhu District Court sentenced him to four years with a 5,000-yuan fine. He was taken to Beijiang Prison on January 11, 2023.
Mr. Li Aimin was arrested on the same day as his son. He was released on bail on July 22, 2021, after one month at the Haizhu District Detention Center. The Haizhu District Court initially scheduled a hearing of his case for July 28, 2022, but postponed it to March 31, 2023, due to COVID lockdowns.
Ye Shijian (叶仕坚), chief of Huazhou Police Station: +86-20-89888709, +86-20-89888836Wang Jie (王洁), presiding judge of Haizhu District Court: +86-18126766736Jia Cunjin (贾存锦), judge, Haizhu District CourtYi Haijun (衣海君), judge, Haizhu District CourtLin Jishen (林继深), prosecutor, Haizhu District Procuratorate: +86-20-89017715