(Minghui.org) A 75-year-old woman in Beijing recently lost her appeal against a three-year sentence for practicing Falun Gong. As Ms. Wang Junping failed the physical examination required for admission to prison, she has been released. It’s not clear whether the judge has allowed her to serve time at home. 

Ms. Wang was arrested in June 2019 for talking to people about Falun Gong. Her home was ransacked that same day and her media player and MP3 were confiscated. Due to poor health, Ms. Wang was released on bail immediately.

She was arrested again in November 2020 after being reported for talking to a parking lot attendant about Falun Gong. The police confiscated her Falun Gong books, computer, printer, DVD and memory cards. She was taken to a detention center the next day, but was denied admission after she failed the physical examination. She was again released on bail. 

The police later submitted Ms. Wang’s case to the Fengtai District Procuratorate, which indicted her and moved her case to the Fengtai District Court.

Judge Hu Chunsheng held a hearing on Ms. Wang’s case on May 13, 2021. Her lawyer Liang Xiaojun entered a not guilty plea for her. Ms. Wang also testified in her own defense. She said that she practiced Falun Gong to improve her health and didn’t violate any law or harm anyone through her practice. She also said that it was her freedom of speech to talk to people about Falun Gong. The judge constantly interrupted Ms. Wang during her testimony.

The court informed Ms. Wang on December 28, 2022 that she was sentenced to three years with a 3,000-yuan fine. She appealed with the Beijing City No. 2 Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold her original verdict.