(Minghui.org) Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 8 cities or counties in 6 provinces, where at least 17 practitioners were recently persecuted for their belief.

1. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Mr. Ma Jiang Abused in Prison
2. [Xiangyang City, Hubei Province] Li Ying Missing
3. [Laizhou City, Shandong Province] Seven Practitioners Tried
4. [Xian County, Hebei Province] Ms. Sun Shujie Taken to Prison
5. [Dongying City, Shandong Province] Mr. Yang Jianjun Placed Under Administrative Detention
6. [Tai’an City, Shandong Province] Ms. Gong Qingwei’s Home Ransacked
7. [Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province] Ms. Liu Zhiyang Arrested
8. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Three Practitioners Arrested
9. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Zhao Hongzhi Arrested

1. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Mr. Ma Jiang Abused in Prison

Mr. Ma Jiang’s family members went to Shenyang City No. 1 Prison on January 15, 2024, to visit him. They were only allowed to meet with him for 10 minutes. This was the second visit after Mr. Ma’s arrest. The first visit was on December 11, 2023, and it lasted only 20 minutes.

Mr. Ma has refused to transform or give up his belief. Now he has been restricted to spending only 150 yuan per month. He was only allowed to buy daily necessities, excluding any food items. He was even prevented from buying razors and some other daily necessities.

2. [Xiangyang City, Hubei Province] Li Ying Missing

Li Ying went out on a bicycle on the afternoon of January 13, 2024, and did not return.

3. [Laizhou City, Shandong Province] Seven Practitioners Tried

Lin Hongjie, Xie Qingcai, Teng Qinhua, Pan Zhaohua, Gao Rijun, Feng Guoping, and Fang Ruiqin were tried by Laizhou City Court on November 29, 2023.

During the court hearing, local lawyers arranged by the court represented practitioners. These lawyers, who had not learned the facts about Falun Gong, were anxious to persuade the practitioners to plead guilty and accept punishment in court. Through lawyers the court notified Gao Rijun that he or she was fined 5,000 yuan, Feng Guoping was fined 5,000 yuan, and Teng Qinhua was fined 6,000 yuan.

4. [Xian County, Hebei Province] Ms. Sun Shujie Taken to Prison

Ms. Sun Shujie, 58, opened a proprietary clothing processing store in Mingzhu Grand Business & Trade Plaza in Xian County. She was arrested and taken to prison around the beginning of July 2023. The specific circumstances of her arrest are unknown. It is not clear what her current status is or which ward she is held in prison, where she is serving a four-year term.

5. [Dongying City, Shandong Province] Mr. Yang Jianjun Placed Under Administrative Detention

Mr. Yang Jianjun, a retired employee of Shengli Oilfield, was placed under 14 days of administrative detention by the Binhai Police Department in Shengli Oilfield on November 11, 2023.

On November 24, 2018, at least eight to ten officers from the Dongying City Domestic Security Division and Domestic Security officers from the Binhai Police Department broke into Mr. Yang’s home and ransacked the place. They confiscated Mr. Yang’s national ID card, social security card, and many personal belongings. When the officers were ransacking his home and not paying attention to him, Mr. Yang escaped. He became displaced.

On March 4, 2021, Mr. Yang took a bus heading for his hometown to visit his 80-year-old mother who was unable to take care of herself. On his way there, he was arrested by the police. He was taken to the brainwashing center of the Shengli Oilfield Gathering and Transportation Plant for “transformation,” and he was held for nearly a month. He was later released on bail for one year after paying a 10,000 yuan deposit. A year later, his bail ended. He was immediately placed under 14 days of public order detention, which is an administrative penalty.

6. [Tai’an City, Shandong Province] Ms. Gong Qingwei’s Home Ransacked

Ma Weihao and two people in police uniforms from the Yingsheng Police Station in Taishan District knocked on the door of 57-year-old Ms. Gong Qingwei’s home at 11:30 a.m. on January 4, 2024. They claimed she was caught on surveillance cameras while distributing Falun Gong materials. The date of the video recording was August 4. They took her to the police station, showed her a woman’s photo, and asked her to identify the woman. It was a side photo of the woman. The police later took Ms. Gong to her home and ransacked it. They confiscated some Falun Gong books and articles written by Master.

They took her to the police station. Ms. Gong asked them to return the confiscated Falun Gong books. They said that they would return them in one month and asked her to sign the “Evidence Clearance List.” They did not let her return home until after 7 p.m.

7. [Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province] Ms. Liu Zhiyang Arrested

Ms. Liu Zhiyang was arrested by officers in Xihu District on January 17, 2024, on the grounds that someone reported her last year. Her whereabouts are unknown.

8. [Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province] Three Practitioners Arrested

Mr. Wang Hong was arrested by officers from the Domestic Security Division of Harbin Railway Police Department around 8 a.m. on December 13, 2023, when he returned from the night shift. Also arrested were Ms. Xu Wenying and Huo Ping. All three practitioners were held in the Harbin City Detention Center. It is reported that the cases of Mr. Wang and Ms. Xu have been turned over to Harbin City Railway Procuratorate.

Ms. Xu was watched by the Railway Police Department for more than two years, which deployed 32 pieces of surveillance equipment. The officers confiscated three large printers from her rented home. During this period, the police knew all the people who Ms. Xu contacted as well as the content of their conversations and what they did.

9. [Shenyang City, Liaoning Province] Ms. Zhao Hongzhi Arrested

Ms. Zhao Hongzhi’s son went to Zaohua Town to visit his mother and learned that she was arrested on January 6, 2024, by officers from the Nanhu Police Station while she was cooking dinner. She is currently being held in the Shenyang City Detention Center.