(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 7 cities or counties in 5 provinces, where at least 16 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.

1. [Yutai County, Shandong Province] Ms. Wei Xuehua Sentenced to Prison
2. [Pingdu City, Shandong Province] Ms. Qi Ruiying Arrested and Detained
3. [Fukang City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region] Ms. Li Heping Persecuted
4. [Helong City, Jilin Province] Ms. Feng Mei Harassed
5. [Yingcheng City, Hubei Province] Eight Practitioners Harassed
6. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Chen Baixiang Arrested
7. [Mianyang City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Wang Guofeng Arrested and Harassed

1. [Yutai County, Shandong Province] Ms. Wei Xuehua Sentenced to Prison

Ms. Wei Xuehua, 82, was reported to police for distributing truth clarifying materials and was arrested by officers from the Yushan Police Station and the Rencheng District Police Department of Jining City in July 2023. The police ransacked her home and confiscated her Falun Gong books, desktop computer, laptop, and paper bills imprinted with Falun Gong facts. Ms. Wei was released on bail pending trial.

Ms. Wei’s case was filed with the Rencheng District Procuratorate on May 11, 2023. She was sentenced to two years and six months in prison with three years of probation, and was fined 5,000 yuan by the Rencheng District Court.

2. [Pingdu City, Shandong Province] Ms. Qi Ruiying Arrested and Detained

Ms. Qi Ruiying, 70, was arrested for distributing information about Falun Gong on December 17, 2023 and was taken to the Pudong Detention Center the next day.

Ms. Qi was previously arrested. On January 7, 2008 she was arrested at her home by officers from the Wanjia Town Police Station and was detained 15 days and fined 5,000 yuan. She was also arrested by officers from the Wanjia Town Police Station on February 11, 2014 for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was detained one day and fined 3,000 yuan.

3. [Fukang City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region] Ms. Li Heping Persecuted

Ms. Li Heping, 69, is a retired civil servant from the Fukang City Water Conservancy Bureau. She was imprisoned for two years, and her pension was suspended by the Fukang City Social Security Bureau. Ms. Li appealed with the related departments. However, she was summoned by police with the excuse that her appeal letters contained information about Falun Gong.

4. [Helong City, Jilin Province] Ms. Feng Mei Harassed

Ms. Feng Mei from Bajiazi Town was harassed at home by police officer Zhang on the afternoon of December 21, 2023. Zhang wanted to know her ID number, and the phone numbers of her husband and her son.

5. [Yingcheng City, Hubei Province] Eight Practitioners Harassed

Four practitioners from Wangqian Village, Wang Changping, Wang Zhenrong, Wang Junrong and Wang Huiyuan were harassed at home by village official Xia Dahui and two officers from the Dongmafang Police Station on the morning of December 12, 2023. They photographed the practitioners.

The same police officers, led by a staff member of the Dongmafang Sub-district Office, also harassed Chen Yunfeng, Chen Jianlan and Yangzi that day.

Chen Xianggou was harassed at home by Officer Zhao from the Silipeng Sub-district on the afternoon of December 12, 2023.

6. [Jilin City, Jilin Province] Chen Baixiang Arrested

Chen Baixiang (gender unknown) was harassed at home by officers from the Chaluhe Police Station in early December 2023. The police confiscated a Falun Gong book and a couplet. Two days later, they came back and took Chen to the police station for interrogation. Chen was released at 10 p.m.

Chen Baixiang was arrested again by officers from the Chaluhe Town Police Station on the morning of December 11, 2023. Chen was taken to a detention center, but was denied admission due to the result of a medical examination. Chen was released in the evening.

7. [Mianyang City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Wang Guofeng Arrested and Harassed

Ms. Wang Guofeng from Leshan City, nearly 80, stayed with her daughter in Mianyang City. She was arrested by officers from the Chengxiang Police Station in Mianyang City in September 2023 for distributing information about Falun Gong near the Mianyang Center Hospital. She was later released.

Ms. Wang was harassed at her rented house by Lijiayuan Village officials in mid-December 2023. They took some photos.