Five Practitioners in Jianyang City, Sichuan Province Sentenced

On December 8th, 2009, Ms. Lei Jinxiang and other four Falun Gong practitioners were brought to trial in Jianyang City Court in Sichuan Province. Four attorneys hired by practitioners defended them. The court ignored the truth and the law and handed the practitioners heavy sentences. Ms. Lei was sentenced to a nine and a half-year term, Ms. Jia Zhengfen to eight and a half years, Mr. Zhang Shixiang to six years, Ms. Liu Dehui to four years, and Ms. Peng Xiuqiong to three years. Below is more information about these practitioners.

Ms. Lei Jinxiang, born in 1953, lived in Jiancheng Town, Jianyang City. In January 2000, she went to Beijing to appeal for the right to practise Falun Gong and was arrested and detained for 15 days by the Jianyang City Police Department. In February 2001, she was detained at the brainwashing centre for over a month and persecuted because she did not give up Falun Gong. In 2002, her husband passed away and her two daughters, both in their 20s, were murdered by someone who broke into their house. Since then, Ms. Lei has lived alone. Facing the great pain of losing three family members within a year, she did not collapse. She told people that she definitely could not have got through the tragedy if she did not practise Falun Gong. Falun Gong taught her to be positive, to not complain or hate, and to treat people with compassion. She was actively involved in community service and was praised as a good person. On March 17th, 2009, she was arrested and detained at the notorious Erehu Brainwashing Centre in Ziyang City by the police from Jianyang City. She was officially arrested on April 22nd.

Ms. Jia Zhengfen, born in 1972, is from Nanjiang County, Sichuan Province. In January 2000, she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was arrested and detained by the Nanjiang County Police Department. Her mother, husband, brother and sister-in-law were all either sentenced to prison or placed in forced labour camps for not giving up practising Falun Gong. On March 17th, 2009, Jiang Zhengfen was taken to the Ziyang City Detention Centre by the police from Jianyang City while watching TV at Lei Jinxiang's home. She was officially arrested on April 22nd. During the detention period, she was sent to the Erehu Brainwashing Class and suffered from brutal persecution.

Mr. Zhang Shixiang, born in 1950, lived in Jiancheng Town, Jianyang City. He started to practise Falun Gong in August 1997. In March 2000, he was arrested by the Jianyang City Police Department for practising Falun Gong. In 2001, he was arrested and sent to the brainwashing centre in Jianyang City Detention Centre. On June 4th, 2007, at about 10 a.m., he was arrested while distributing leaflets exposing the persecution and telling people the facts about Falun Gong at the Qianxi Merchandise Market in Jianyang City. At about 2 p.m. he walked out of the police station. He had to become destitute and homeless afterwards to avoid arrest. On November 4th, 2008, about 5 p.m., he was arrested at his rented room at 21 Longwanggou, Jiancheng Town, and taken to the Jianyang City Detention Centre. On December 4th, 2009, the police from Jianyang City changed his status to "surveillance of residence" so as not to exceed the time limit for detention. But they did not let him go home at all. Instead, they sent him to the Erehu Brainwashing Centre without notifying his family members and brutally persecuted him. Mr. Zhang was not allowed to sleep for five days and nights, and he had heart failure. On January 1st, 2009, he was officially arrested. During this period, his feet were restrained in heavy fetters for a long time, which caused severe injury. The police had to send him to the hospital for treatment, but even in the hospital, two guards were sent to watch him closely 24 hours a day. At the December 8 trial, Mr. Zhang had to travel to and from the court by ambulance.

Ms. Liu Dehui, born in 1962, lived in Jiancheng Town. During 2000, she went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong and was detained for a month. Later she was detained four times at the detention centre around the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) sensitive days. On March 17th, 2009, she was arrested at her construction supplies shop and was detained at the Erehu Brainwashing Centre in Ziyang City. She was officially arrested on April 22nd. Her husband had been imprisoned in Deyang Prison for three years, beginning in 2001, for not giving up practising Falun Gong.

Ms. Peng Xiuqiong, born on August 4th, 1944, lived in Erhe Village, Dongxi Town, Jianyang City. She has been arrested and persecuted five times. In July 2001, she was detained by the Jianyang City Police Department. On January 30th, 2003, at night, she was arrested and detained for 28 days by the Erhe Village Committee. On January 21st, 2004, she was arrested and detained by the Erhe Village Committee for 72 days. In June 2004, she was arrested and detained by the Erhe Village Committee for over a month. One day in June 2008 about 8 a.m., she was arrested again by the Erhe Village Committee and was immediately detained at the Erehu Brainwashing Centre in Ziyang City for two months. On March 17th, 2009, she was arrested and taken to the Lezhi County Detention Centre from her home by the police from Jianyang City. From April 18th, 2009, till May 7th, she was detained at the Erehu Brainwashing Centre again. On May 8th, the Jianyang City Procuratorate arrested her. Her home was searched and property confiscated three times this year, on March 17th, April 18th, and May 4th. Her eldest daughter's home was also searched. During the ransacking on the evening of March 17th, three police vehicles arrived at her home first and then a violence prevention truck arrived. Over 20 officers participated the ransacking. At the trial on December 8th, immediately after Ms. Peng got out of the police vehicle, she shouted, "Falun Gong is good!" to tell the people the truth.

Currently, Mr. Zhang Shixiang is being detained in the Jianyang City People's Hospital. The other four practitioners are being held at the Jianyang City Detention Centre.

Contact information:

Jianyang City Detention Centre: 86-832-7217099

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2009/12/14/214366.html