(Minghui.org) A Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, resident was sentenced to four years in May 2023 for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Rong Xiuzhen, around 55, was arrested at her daughter’s home in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, on September 12, 2022. She had planned to return to Shijiazhuang the month prior after visiting the young couple and their kindergarten-age child, but her flight got canceled due to an outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The arresting officers from the Yiliu Police Station in Kunming City took Ms. Rong to the Panlong District First Detention Center, where she is likely to still remain detained at the time of writing.
The Wuhua District Court in Kunming Court initially scheduled a hearing for February 10, 2023, but postponed it one day before the court date. The court then worked hand in glove with the police, attempting to stop Ms. Rong’s lawyer from defending her innocence in court.
It is unclear when the rescheduled hearing took place and if the lawyer was allowed to attend. Ms. Rong’s family learned that she was sentenced to four years in May 2023.
Prior 3-Year Detention Without Legal Grounds
Ms. Rong took up Falun Gong in 1999. She credits the practice for helping her find peace and joy in life despite its hardships. Her husband suddenly died of a stroke one night in April 2006, five months before their daughter was set to start college. Ms. Rong worked hard and helped her daughter to have a smooth start with her college study. It was Falun Gong that gave her the strength to carry on.
At the end of her daughter’s sophomore year, Ms. Rong was arrested on July 4, 2008, by instructor Xue Jianjun and his subordinates from the Jian’an Road Police Station. They raided her home and took her to the Shijiazhuang City First Detention Center. She was held there for three years and released on July 3, 2011. According to her daughter, three court hearings were held following Ms. Rong’s arrest, but their family was never told whether she was sentenced.
Related Reports:
Ms. Rong Xiuzhen Illegally Detained for Two Years, Her Daughter Raises Awareness
Ms. Rong Xiuzhen Illegally Detained in Shijiazhuang Detention Center for Over Two Years
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