Two Elderly Jilin Women Sentenced to Prison for Practicing Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) Minghui.org recently learned of the wrongful convictions of two Changchun City, Jilin Province residents for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual dscipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.

Ms. Pan Shuxian, 73, was sentenced to two years and eight months, and Ms. Miao Yawen, 70, was sentenced to four years. It’s not clear if they were given court fines. They have been admitted to the Jilin Province Women’s Prison and their pension accounts have also been frozen.

The two women went grocery shopping together at 7 p.m. on August 6, 2024 but didn’t return home that night. Four hours later, their respective homes were raided by officers (one of them surnamed Wei) from the Qinghe Police Station. The police confiscated a total of 15,000 yuan in cash and some Falun Gong informational materials.

Ms. Miao’s and Ms. Pan’s families received text messages from the Qinghe Police Station on August 8 confirming their loved ones’ criminal detention at the Changchun City Detention Center. They asked the police why they arrested two elderly ladies who were simply buying groceries. The police replied that Ms. Miao and Ms. Pan were reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. They threatened to give them heavy sentences.

The police indeed submitted both women’s cases to the Chaoyang City Procuratorate, which indicted them and forwarded the cases to the Chaoyang District Court. It is unclear when judge Zhang Naifu sentenced the two women to prison.