(Minghui.org) Three Changchun City, Jilin Province, residents were recently sentenced to prison for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Ms. Liu Yufen, in her 70s, was arrested by officers from the Tumenling Police Station around 7 a.m. on July 21, 2023. Her home was ransacked. The police put her on criminal detention after 15 days of administrative detention.

Mr. Tian Zhibin, 73, and his wife, Ms. Zhu Guiqing, 71, were arrested by officers from the Changchun City Police Department. Details about their arrests aren’t clear.

Minghui.org recently confirmed that Ms. Liu was sentenced to three and a half years, Mr. Tian was sentenced to four years, and Ms. Zhu was sentenced to two years and eight months. Mr. Tian is currently serving time at the Gongzhuling Prison. It’s not clear where the two women are detained.

This isn’t the first time that Ms. Liu has been targeted for her faith, which she credits for helping her to recover from a stomach condition, headache and back pain. She was arrested in February 2000 for going to Beijing to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong. She was detained for 15 days and fined 200 yuan. She returned to Beijing to appeal again in April 2000 and was given one year at the Heizuizi Forced Labor Camp. She was forced to work from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day without pay.

Ms. Liu went to Tiananmen Square to appeal for the third time in the fall of 2001. She was beaten with spiked rubber sticks and her shoulder and back were covered in bruises. That night, she was taken to a police station. The police shocked her arms and mouth with electric batons, when she refused to tell them her name and address. The scars from the electric shocks are still visible on her arm.

Ms. Liu was arrested again in 2008 and given two years at the Heizuizi Forced Labor Camp. She developed renal tuberculosis due to the torture. She had blood in her urine and was released on medical parole after she became incapacitated.