Shandong Woman Gets 2.5-Year Prison Term for Her Faith in Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) A Gaomi City, Shandong Province, resident, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.

The local authorities did not inform Ms. Qin Shaohua’s family of her trial or sentencing. An insider revealed this information, but didn’t say when she was sentenced or whether she had been admitted to prison.

Initial Arrest and Release on Bail

Ms. Qin’s prison sentence stemmed from an earlier arrest on May 31, 2022. Two property management workers reported her to police that day after spotting her distributing Falun Gong informational materials in her residential area. Two officers from the Furi Police Station soon arrived to arrest her.

She was interrogated and had her fingerprints and toeprints collected at the police station. Five other officers snatched her house key and raided her home. They confiscated more than ten Falun Gong books, two cell phones (one of which was later returned), a music player, and 900 yuan in cash.

The police released Ms. Qin on a 1,000-yuan bail that night and promised to return the money one year later. They never did.

Taken Back Into Custody After Refusing to Attend Trial

Three officers from the Furi Police Station broke into Ms. Qin’s home at around 6:00 a.m. on September 29, 2022 and took her to Gaomi City Procuratorate. She was released after being deposed there. The Procuratorate later indicted her.

Ms. Qin visited her parents on November 17, 2022. The Furi Police Station soon found out about it and dispatched three officers to seize her from her parents’ home. They took her straight to the Gaomi City Court, where she was ordered to sign her summons, indictment, and notice of rights [for defendants]. She refused to comply and was told that she must report to court on December 1, 2022 to attend her hearing, otherwise be taken back into custody.

Ms. Qin did not attend the hearing. The Furi Police Station officers broke into her home at around 6 a.m. on February 8, 2023 and took her to the Weifang City Detention Center. The police called her parents two days later to say she had been formally arrested. Her parents haven’t since heard any updates from the authorities.

Parents Kept in the Dark of Her Case Status

Ms. Qin’s parents later called the police, the Procuratorate, and the court many times to inquire about her case, but were never given any updates.

The elderly couple called presiding judge Liu Zhaosheng again on March 2, 2023. Someone picked up the phone but immediately hung up, upon finding out who was calling. They then called prosecutor Pan Honghui (who was in charge of the case). An assistant answered the phone and said she’d pass the phone to prosecutor Pan. Ms. Qin’s parents asked if it was prosecutor Pan. He paused a bit and then replied, “No. Prosecutor Pan has just stepped out.” But Ms. Qin’s parents recognized Pan’s voice and knew he was talking to them.

They called chief Liu Dibin of the Furi Police Station on March 7. Liu transferred their call to the duty room, which referred them back to Liu. But Liu no longer picked up the phone.

Ms. Qin’s parents went to the police station on March 10. An officer said that her case has been forwarded to the Procuratorate so the police station was no longer in charge.

The couple called prosecutor Pan and his supervisor, chief prosecutor Ji Bing, but neither answered the phone. Judge Liu immediately hung up the phone when Ms. Qin’s parents called him again.

The Xiazhuang Town Police Station harassed the couple at home twice, on March 10 and March 18. The couple’s younger daughter, who was living with them, was so terrified that she had a relapse of her mental illness.

Past Persecution of Ms. Qin and Her Parents

Ms. Qin, her father, Mr. Qin Songfa, and her mother, Ms. Xu Xiuzhen, all took up Falun Gong in 1998. The three of them were repeatedly targeted after the persecution began one year later.

Mr. Qin and Ms. Xu were arrested on April 7, 2011 after being reported for distributing Falun Gong informational materials. Both were sentenced to three and a half years.

Ms. Qin wrote complaints against her parents’ perpetrators and was arrested on August 24, 2011. She was then given one year of forced labor and brutally tortured during her detention.

Ms. Qin’s parents and two other practitioners were arrested by the Xiazhuang Town Police Station on March 5, 2016, while distributing Falun Gong informational materials. Ms. Qin hired a lawyer for her parents, only to be arrested on March 17, 2016 by the Xiazhuang Town Police Station and the Gaomi City Domestic Security Office.

Ms. Qin managed to escape while the police took her home for a raid.

Three officers (one of them was named Luan Bin) from the Xiazhuang Town Police Station arrested Ms. Qin at work on November 13, 2020. Each of the officers was rewarded 3,600 yuan for capturing her. They counted the bills in front of her and laughed wildly.

Ms. Qin was held at the police station overnight and then taken to a hospital for a health exam. The police next held her at the Changyi Detention Center for 14 days, before taking her to a brainwashing center on November 27, 2020. She was held there for a few hours and released at 9 p.m.

It took Ms. Qin three trips to the Xiazhuang Town Police Station to finally get them to return her key, ID, bankbook, and social insurance card. The police, however, refused to return the more than 200 yuan cash confiscated from her.

While Ms. Qin was in detention, two officers delivered a detention notice to her parents, on November 20, 2020. The notice was dated March 17, 2016. It dawned on her parents that the police had targeted her again because of her escape four years prior.

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Husband and Wife Detained, Daughter Persecuted for Hiring a Lawyer