(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 14 cities or counties in 6 provinces, where at least 18 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.

1. [Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province] Prison Officials Refuse to Allow Ms. Zhou Meili’s Family to Visit Her
2. [Beijing] Ms. Xiu Yanpeng Faces Trial
3. [Dehui City, Jilin Province] Ms. Zhu Yuxia Passes Away
4. [Guan County, Shandong Province] Xu Zhaojie Arrested
5. [Cangzhou City, Hebei Province] Ms. Sun Shujie Held in Detention Center
6. [Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Zhang Yaqin Arrested
7. [Fucheng County, Hebei Province] Three Practitioners Taken to Detention Center
8. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Three Practitioners Arrested
9. [Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province] Ms. Liang Jun Held in Detention Center
10. [Penglai City, Shandong Province] Ms. Liu Yanjuan Detained
11. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Mr. Yang Juxue Arrested
12. [Tianjin] Ms. Liu Jialing Possibly Arrested
13. [Haicheng City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Dong Liping Arrested
14. [Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province] Ms. Cao Yumei Arrested

1. [Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province] Prison Officials Refuse to Allow Ms. Zhou Meili’s Family to Visit Her

Ms. Zhou Meili, 67, was reported to the police for giving someone an amulet (a Falun Gong keepsake) on June 11, 2022, and was arrested by officers from the Xier Road Police Station. On November 11, 2022, she was sentenced to three years and six months in prison by the Yongxiu County Court. On June 6, 2023, she was taken to Nanchang Women’s Prison.

Ms. Zhou’s daughter traveled twice to Nanchang City, which is well over 60 miles away, to see her mother. Both times, prison officials refused to allow her to see her mother.

Ms. Zhou has been repeatedly arrested, taken to forced labor camps, and sentenced to prison. This is the third time she was sentenced. Her husband was forced to divorce her. Her pension was terminated.

2. [Beijing] Ms. Xiu Yanpeng Faces Trial

Ms. Xiu Yanpeng from Penglai District, Yantai City, Shandong Province, currently lives in Suojiafen Community, Beitaipingzhuang Sub-district, Haidian District, Beijing.

In March 2023, Ms. Xiu was arrested at home by officers from the Beitaipingzhuang Police Station and the Haidian District Domestic Security Division for distributing information about Falun Gong. Ms. Xiu received a notice from the court that she would be tried on July 27, 2023.

3. [Dehui City, Jilin Province] Ms. Zhu Yuxia Passes Away

Ms. Zhu Yuxia, from Dehui City, lived in a rented house in Kuancheng District, Changchun City. On September 29, 2022, she was arrested at home by several officers from the Xiguang Police Station in Kuancheng District where she temporarily lived, and officers from the Changde Police Station in Dehui City, where her household registration is on file.

The officers ransacked her home. Ms. Zhu was taken home and placed under residential surveillance after a physical examination showed she had hepatitis B and cirrhosis of the liver.

On March 3, 2023, Ms. Zhu was arrested at the home of practitioner Liu Chuanrong in Dehui City. The detention center refused to take her as she failed the physical examination. She went home on March 11.

On June 5, Ms. Zhu was prosecuted by the Kuancheng District Procuratorate. In mid-July, her condition deteriorated and she passed away during the escalated persecution.

4. [Guan County, Shandong Province] Xu Zhaojie Arrested

Xu Zhaojie was arrested in the afternoon of July 23, 2023.

5. [Cangzhou City, Hebei Province] Ms. Sun Shujie Held in Detention Center

Ms. Sun Shujie was held in the Xian County Detention Center.

6. [Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province] Ms. Zhang Yaqin Arrested

It was reported that Ms. Zhang Yaqin, in her 50s, was caught on camera while distributing Falun Gong materials. She was arrested by a local police station in Jixi City, and has not yet been released.

7. [Fucheng County, Hebei Province] Three Practitioners Taken to Detention Center

Ms. Zhu Shuzhen, female practitioner Xiaoyu, and Ms. Wang Heyun were reported to the police for talking to people about Falun Gong on the morning of July 6, 2023. They were arrested by officers from the Xiakou Township Police Station. Their homes were ransacked around noon. They were taken to the Fucheng County Detention Center that evening. On July 20, their family members went to the Fucheng County Police Department to demand their release, and were told that the three practitioners had been taken to the Hengshui City Detention Center.

8. [Dalian City, Liaoning Province] Three Practitioners Arrested

Ms. Wang Xue, in her 50s, and Ms. Zou Anping, in her 70s, were arrested on the morning of July 17, 2023. They are being held in the Dalian City Detention Center.

Elderly Ms. Cui Jinzhu from Qixianling Sub-district, Dalian High-tech Park, gave two Falun Gong brochures to a patient in a dental hospital. Someone photographed her and reported to the police. On July 21, seven people from the Qixianling Community Management Office and the Hekou Border Police Station ransacked Ms. Cui’s home. They confiscated her Falun Gong books, photos of the founder of Falun Gong, a small radio, a laptop, and a printer. They took Ms. Cui to the police station. Ms. Cui returned home that day.

9. [Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province] Ms. Liang Jun Held in Detention Center

Ms. Liang Jun was forcibly taken away by three people in police uniforms and one in plainclothes on the morning of July 14, 2023. Both Ms. Liang’s arms were bruised. At noon, approximately twelve officers opened the door with the keys they confiscated from Ms. Liang. They ransacked the place, and confiscated a computer and books.

At around 10 o’clock that night, Ms. Liang’s daughter received a call from the Haigang Police Department, telling her to come there. After she arrived at the police department, the officers told her to sign paperwork. Ms. Liang was surrounded by four or five people who pressured her to sign. Both Ms. Liang and her daughter refused to sign anything.

Mr. Liang was still taken to the public security hospital, but her family members were not notified. Ms. Liang’s whereabouts are unknown.

With no alternatives left, Ms. Liang’s daughter had to hire a lawyer to make an appointment to see Ms. Liang. Only then did she learn that her mother had been taken to the Qinhuangdao City Detention Center. Ms. Liang is still being held there.

10. [Penglai City, Shandong Province] Ms. Liu Yanjuan Detained

Ms. Liu Yanjuan was reported to the police while talking to people about Falun Gong at the Jiesongying farmers market on July 20, 2023. She was subsequently arrested and her home was ransacked. Ms. Liu is being held in the Yantai Development Zone Detention Center for 10 days of detention.

11. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Mr. Yang Juxue Arrested

Mr. Yang Juxue went to the Guangxi farmers market to talk to people about Falun Gong and distribute Falun Gong keepsakes on June 5, 2023. He was spotted by the police who took him to the police station. The officers ransacked his home and confiscated Falun Gong books and printed materials. Mr. Yang returned home after 6 p.m. that evening.

12. [Tianjin] Ms. Liu Jialing Possibly Arrested

Ms. Liu Jialing, in her 50s, from Jinghai District, was dismissed from public office for practicing Falun Gong. She was sent to a labor camp for five years and was sentenced to nine years in prison, and then to five and a half years in prison.

Ms. Liu had just returned home for two or three months before she disappeared between June and July. She may have been arrested again.

13. [Haicheng City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Dong Liping Arrested

The Haicheng City Domestic Security Division teamed up with the Shanxi Province Internet Police and Gaizhou City Domestic Security Division in Liaoning Province to break into Ms. Dong Liping’s home in Haicheng City, Liaoning Province, on the afternoon of July 21, 2023.

Ms. Dong refused to open the door. Three people climbed over the west wall, and two climbed over the east wall. Another group of people attempted to pry the gate open. They broke the lock on the gate. They handcuffed Ms. Dong, and eight or nine other people, ransacked the house, confiscated photos of the founder of Falun Gong, all the Falun Gong books, and a cell phone. It is not known where Ms. Dong was taken to after she was arrested.

14. [Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province] Ms. Cao Yumei Arrested

Ms. Cao Yumei was arrested on her way home on the morning of July 21, 2023, for distributing Falun Gong materials. It was reported that the police followed her for months. The officers then ransacked her home and confiscated photos of the founder of Falun Gong and Falun Gong books. It is not known where she is being held.