(Minghui.org) Mr. Qi Yingjun, 63, from Jinan City, Shandong Province, who had been out on bail was taken back into custody on December 18, 2023 after losing his appeal against a four-year prison sentence on November 9, 2023.
Mr. Qi’s sentence stemmed from his arrest on June 19, 2023, for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999. He developed some severe illness symptoms and was soon released on bail. He man stood trial on August 14 and was sentenced to four years and fined 10,000 yuan on September 25. His appeal was rejected by the Jinan City Intermediate Court on November 9.
Qin Ligang and two other officers from the Laiwu District Police Department abducted Mr. Qi from his home at 8 a.m. on December 18 and took him to the Jinan City Sixth Detention Center. He was transferred to the Shandong Province Prison two days later.
Prior to his latest persecution, Mr. Qi and his wife were repeatedly targeted for upholding their faith during the past 24 years. Mr. Qi was given three years of forced labor in 2000 and was brutally tortured. His daughter was given three years of forced labor in 2005 after being interviewed by human rights lawyer Mr. Gao Zhisheng. She was only 19 at the time. Her mother was sentenced to two and a half years in prison following her arrest in 2019.
For details of Mr. Qi’s latest arrest and sentencing, as well as his family’s past persecution, refer to the following related reports.
63-Year-Old Shandong Man Sentenced to Four Years for Practicing Falun Gong Loses Appeal
Mr. Qi Yingjun Barred From Testifying in His Own Defense During Court Hearing
Four Shandong Residents Sentenced for Their Faith
Jinan City, Shandong Province: Eight Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested, Three Remain in Custody