Hebei Man Sentenced to Three-Year Prison Term for His Faith in Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) A Zhenze County, Hebei Province resident was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 5,000 yuan for his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.

Mr. Peng Jingjun’s sentencing stemmed from his arrest on August 19, 2020, for talking to people about Falun Gong. The police attempted three times to get the Jinzhou City Detention Center to admit him, but failed each time due to Mr. Peng’s elevated body temperature. They kept him at Chengqu Police Station in Zhenze County for five days before releasing him on bail on August 24.

Officer Chang Liwei of the Chengqu Police Station summoned Mr. Peng on August 31 and told him to sign various documents. Mr. Peng was summoned again on September 10 and told that his case had been submitted to the Jinzhou City Procuratorate, with prosecutor Cheng Lijun assigned to the case.

Both Zhenze County and Jinzhou City are under the administration of Shijiazhuang (capital city of Hebei Province). It is unclear why Jinzhou City was involved in Mr. Peng’s prosecution.

The Jinzhou City Court summoned Mr. Peng on December 2, 2020 to attend a court hearing (the exact date remained unknown). He fled his home to avoid being prosecuted for his faith. The police searched his home many times and terrified his parents, both of whom are in their 80s.

About five officers scaled the fence of Mr. Peng’s home at around 7 a.m. on September 22, 2021 and searched everywhere. They didn’t show their IDs and questioned Mr. Peng’s parents about if he had returned home.

Mr. Peng came back a few months later, only to be arrested at home at around 6 p.m. on February 8, 2022. He was taken to the Zhenze County Detention Center.

Mr. Peng’s parents hired a lawyer from Beijing on February 23 to defend his innocence. When the lawyer visited him at the detention center, Mr. Peng said that his arrest had been approved by the Zhenze County Procuratorate, and that officer Chang had interrogated him once.

The lawyer and Mr. Peng’s mother later went to the Chengqu Police Station to inquire about his case status. Officer Chang said that they were moving forward with his prosecution. On April 18, 2022, his case was forwarded to the Jinzhou City Court.

Mr. Peng stood trial at Jinzhou City Court on April 14, 2023, and his lawyer entered a not guilty plea for him. It’s unclear when he was sentenced to prison.

Perpetrators’ contact information:

Shenze County Police Department: [phone]Cao Yuetao, director of Shenze County Police DepartmentLi Xian, secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Shenze County: [phone]Du Xuejun, officer from the Shenze County Domestic Security Office: [phone]Shi Yifeng, officer from the Shenze County Domestic Security Office: [phone]Zhang Yingjie, chief of Chengqu Police Department: [phone]Chang Liwei, officer of Chengqu Police Department: [phone]Zhang Yongji, chief of Public Prosecution Section of Shenze County Procuratorate: [phone]Jinzhou City Court: [phone]Li Shuangli, judge of Jinzhou City Court: [phone]Shenze County Detention Center: [phone]