(Minghui.org) Eighteen Falun Gong practitioners in Ning’an City, Heilongjiang Province were arrested on May 9, 2024 for their faith, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

The 18 practitioners included Ms. Zhou Xiuhui, Ms. Jiang Meiling, Ms. Wang Lijun, Ms. Chen Jing, Ms. Liu Guiju, Mr. Zhu Xingzhi, Ms. Shang Xiufang, Mr. Gong Wenxue, Ms. Wang Limei, Ms. Zhou Yanqing, Ms. Zhao (first name not known), Ms. Dong (first name not known), Wu (a teacher, gender and first name not known), Jinlian (last name not known), and four practitioners whose names weren’t known.

Due to Ms. Dong and Wu’s advance ages and poor health, they were released shortly after. All other practitioners were taken to the Mudanjiang City Detention Center, either on administrative detention or criminal detention. Mudanjiang oversees Ning’an City.

According to an insider, all of the arrested practitioners had been monitored by the police for some time before the mass arrest. Some were arrested at home while others were arrested while out talking to people about the persecution.