Additional Name(s): 梁欣
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Falun Gong
Health Concerns: High blood pressure, heart disease, hernia
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes
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
Liang Xin was imprisoned for distributing religious materials.
On December 5, 2015, plainclothes police officers detained Liang and her husband, Yao Guofu, from their home in Nanyang municipality, Henan province.
On January 12, 2016, Liang and Yao were charged with "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300). 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, Liang and Yao 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 Liang and Yao's appeal.
While in prison, Liang suffered from high blood pressure, heart disease, and a hernia.
In 2020 or 2021, Liang was released.
Liang and Yao are part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.
Liang and Yao have a daughter.
Related Cases: Yao Guofu
"Liang Xin and Yao Guofu" Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
"Liang Xin" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
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 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
"Liang Xin and Yao Guofu" Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
"Yao Guofu" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Falun Gong
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 2 Years, 10 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: November//2018
Date of Sentencing: December//2019
Current Status: Unknown
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Cult
Zhang Aili was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
In November 2018, authorities arrested Zhang reportedly in relation to her practice of Falun Gong. She was held at the Dongying City Detention Center, where it is reported that she had been mistreated.
In December 2019, the Dongying District Court sentenced Zhang to two years and ten months in prison for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL). She was also fined 8,000 yuan. She was reportedly denied access to her legal counsel.
In April 2020, the Dongying City Intermediate Court rejected Zhang's appeal.
In July 2020, Zhang was transferred to Shandong Province Women’s Prison.
Zhang's sentence should have ended in January 2021.
Zhang's son is a U.S. resident.
Zhang has been previously arrested in relation to her Falun Gong activities.
"Retired Nurse and Mother of a US Resident Imprisoned for Her Faith" Minghui.org
"Additional Persecution News from China – May 3, 2020 (5 Reports)" Minghui.org
"Four Shandong Residents Given Up to 7.5 Years for Practicing Falun Gong" Minghui.org
"Five Shandong Residents Stood Trial for Their Faith After One Year of Incarceration" Minghui.org