(Minghui.org) Thirty-four residents of Siping City, Jilin Province were arrested on August 15, 2019 for their faith in Falun Gong. Fifteen of them are still in detention at the time of writing, including 7 members from an extended family.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Hundreds of police officers in Siping City and Lishu County were dispatched to arrest the 34 practitioners on August 15. The police had monitored the practitioners, including their daily activities, cellphone and internet use, for more than five months before arresting them.
The 15 practitioners who are still detained at the Siping City Detention Center include: Mr. Meng Xiangqi, Mr. Meng Fanjun, Mr. Wang Kemin, Mr. Wang Dongji, Mr. Han Jianping, Mr. Li Changkun, Mr. Jiang Tao, Mr. Tan Qiucheng, Ms. Fu Guihua, Ms. Yu Jianli, Ms. Wang Fengzhi, Ms. Cui Guixian, Ms. Liu Dongying, Ms. Zhang Shaoping and Ms. Zhou.
Although the Lishu County Procuratorate has returned the practitioners’ cases to the police multiple times, the police still refuse to release them and the detention center is also blocking their lawyers from visiting them.
Family Targeted
Seven of the 15 detained practitioners are from the same family.
Mr. Meng Xiangqi and his parents-in-law, Ms. Fu Guihua and Mr. Yao Deyi, were arrested on August 15. Mr. Meng’s wife, Ms. Yu Jianping, and their three-month-old baby were left at home alone.
Mr. Meng’s own parents, Mr. Meng Fanjun and Ms. Wang Guizhen, were arrested later in the day.
The police also arrested Ms. Yu’s older sister, Ms. Yu Jianli, her husband Mr. Wang Dongji and his parents, Mr. Wang Kemin and Ms. Wang Fengzhi.
Mr. Meng’s mother Ms. Wang Guizhen and father-in-law Mr. Yao Deyi were released after 15 days of detention. All the other family members were put on criminal detention and have been held at the Siping City Detention Center since then.
Related reports:
Families Targeted in Mass Arrest in Jilin Province
Siping City, Jilin Province: 18 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested for Their Faith in One Day
Siping City, Jilin Province: Nine Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested for Their Faith in One Day
