Additional Name(s): 姚国付

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: China

Ethnic Group: Han

Religion or Belief: Falun Gong

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 4 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: December/5/2015

Date of Sentencing: December/12/2016

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Distributing Religious Materials Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity

Nature of Charges: Cult

Yao Guofu

Extra Bio Info:

Yao Guofu was imprisoned for distributing religious materials.

On December 5, 2015, plainclothes police officers detained Yao and his wife, Liang Xin, from their home in Nanyang municipality, Henan province. 

On January 12, 2016, Yao and Liang were charged with "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL). Police reportedly confiscated several Falun Gong-related materials and electronics.  The two were accused of using a virtual private network service to access and disseminate Falun Gong materials to the public. 

On December 12, 2016, Yao and Liang were both sentenced to four years and six months in prison and each fined 10,000 yuan.  

In March 2017, the Nanyang City Intermediate People’s Court reportedly rejected Yao and Liang's appeal.

Yao was reportedly beaten by detention center and prison authorities.

In 2020 or 2021, Yao was released.

Yao and Liang are part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.

Yao and Liang have a daughter.

Related Cases: Liang Xin

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