(Minghui.org) At least 11 residents of Dezhou City, Shandong Province, were arrested between September and October 2023 for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999. Four of them were sentenced to prison on April 15, 2024.

The Decheng District Police Department and its subordinate police stations were responsible for the arrests. They first arrested nine Falun Gong practitioners on September 14, 2023, including a male practitioner (whose name is unknown) and eight female practitioners (Ms. Liu Guixiang, Ms. Zhao Yucai, Ms. Zhang Wenyan, Ms. Liu Yanhua, Ms. Liu Yuling, Ms. Ran Hongxia, Ms. Wang Chunfang, Ms. Liu Huilan, and Ms. Lu Xiuming).

Mr. Wang Aijun was also arrested around the same time (exact date unknown). The practitioners’ homes were all raided. Except for Ms. Liu Guixiang, in her 70s, who had poor health, all the other practitioners were taken to the Dezhou City Detention Center.

Ms. Cheng Bi was arrested on October 10, 2023, and held at a lockup for two weeks before being released.

Mr. Wang, Ms. Wang, Ms. Ran, Ms. Liu Huilan, and another practitioner arrested on September 14, 2023, were released on October 14, 2023.

Ms. Liu Yuling, Ms. Zhao, Ms. Liu Yanhua, Ms. Lu, and Ms. Zhang were issued formal arrest warrants in late October 2023. The Decheng City District sentenced four of them on April 15, 2024. Ms. Liu Yuling was given one year and nine months; Ms. Zhao, one and a half years; Ms. Lu, one year and four months; and Ms. Zhang, one year. They were also fined varying amounts.