(Minghui.org) A Beijing woman was sentenced to five and a half years in late July 2025, because she practices Falun Gong. Her appeal was rejected on October 24. Due to her poor health, she is currently serving time at home.
The wrongful conviction of Ms. Zhang Baoling, around 61, stemmed from her arrest on June 19, 2022, after she was reported for distributing Falun Gong informational materials. She was held in the Dahongmen Police Station for 36 hours before she was released on bail.
The Fengtai District Procuratorate called Ms. Zhang on June 5, 2023, and ordered her to report to them in two days. She did not go because she was visiting her sick brother in their hometown.
Officer Gao Yong from the Dahongmen Police Station arrested Ms. Zhang on February 23, 2024, on the grounds that she had violated a condition of her bail by visiting her brother. She did not eat when offered dinner that night. When Gao took her to a hospital for a physical exam, her blood pressure was 214/115 mmHg (when a normal range is 120/80 mmHg or lower). Gao then ordered her to give a blood sample and take medication for hypertension. She refused.
Despite Ms. Zhang’s persistent high blood pressure, Gao took her to the Fengtai District Detention Center after the hospital visit. During the required physical exam, her blood pressure was even higher, and the detention center refused to admit her. Gao went to different offices in the detention center, trying to persuade them to accept Ms. Zhang. The detention center was adamant about not admitting her, and Gao had to let her go. She was released on bail at 2:30 a.m. on February 24, 2024.
The police submitted Ms. Zhang’s case to the Fengtai District Procuratorate in July 2024 and she was indicted around November 2024.
Ms. Zhang stood trial at the Fengtai District Court in late January 2025. The prosecutor slandered Falun Gong saying it was an evil cult but failed to produce any evidence to prove his claim. Ms. Zhang reminded everyone that no law in China has ever criminalized Falun Gong or labeled it a cult. The judge banged his gavel to stop her from speaking.
The prosecutor accused Ms. Zhang of breaking the law but the video “evidence” he played in court had no images, and did not show Ms. Zhang doing anything illegal.
Ms. Zhang’s lawyer also defended her constitutional right to freedom of belief.
The judge held a second hearing on March 13, 2025, before sentencing Ms. Zhang to five and a half years in late July.
The Beijing Intermediate Court summoned Ms. Zhang on October 24, 2025, and announced that her appeal was denied. There was no appeals hearing. She was then taken to a hospital for a physical exam before she was driven to a detention center. Due to her poor health, she was denied admission and allowed to serve time at home.
Related Report:
60-Year-Old Beijing Woman Arrested Two Times in Less Than Two Years for Her Faith in Falun Gong
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