(Minghui.org) The Qingdao City Intermediate Court in Shandong Province ruled on August 26, 2025 to uphold the 1.5-year prison sentence of a 73-year-old man in Pingdu City of the same province for his faith in Falun Gong.
Mr. Li Zhengxun was arrested on March 5, 2025, while he was talking to people about Falun Gong. He was put under criminal detention the next day and taken to the Jimo District Detention Center on March 7. The Jimo District Procuratorate issued a formal arrest warrant for him on March 20.
During the required physical examinations for detention, Mr. Li was found to have a hernia, a tumor in his heart, and a mass in his abdomen, yet the authorities kept him in detention.
During the trial held at the detention center on May 21, Mr. Li’s lawyer testified against the police for listing his client’s wife as a prosecution witness, even though she didn’t sign the interrogation records. Another witness listed in the indictment didn’t appear in court for cross examination, and his testimony should not have been admissible.
The Falun Gong informational materials confiscated from Mr. Li’s home were also listed as prosecution evidence against him. Mr. Li pointed out that the General Administration of Press and Publication repealed its ban on the publication of Falun Gong books in 2011. His lawyer followed up, saying that the materials were Mr. Li’s lawful assets and caused no harm to anyone or society at large.
Prosecutor Wan Jun alleged that Falun Gong is a cult, and Mr. Li reminded her that no enacted law in China criminalizes Falun Gong or labels it as a cult. He explained how Falun Gong freed him from a mental disorder and gave him his life back. He added that Falun Gong also turned him into a more considerate person. The factory he worked for used coal briquettes for heating in the winter. Other workers were unwilling to move the briquettes from the courtyard to the workshop. Mr. Li did it all by himself during breaks.
When Judge Jiang ordered Mr. Li to sign the court proceedings, he refused. He was sentenced to 1.5 years with a 2,000-yuan fine at the detention center on July 3. He appealed with the Qingdao City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold his original verdict on August 26, 2025 without having an open hearing as his family requested.
Prior to his latest prison sentence, Mr. Li was arrested two more times and detained for 15 days each time.
Related Reports:
73-Year-Old Shandong Man Sentenced to 1.5 Years for Practicing Falun Gong
73-Year-Old Shandong Man Stands Trial for Practicing Falun Gong
Three Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Pingdu, Shandong Province
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