01/08/2024
Last month, Falun Gong practitioners worldwide, including in Washington D.C., held demonstrations to mark 25 years of persecution, while China continues its harsh crackdown on adherents.
According to the movement’s statistics, which are deemed reliable due to corroboration by numerous reports in Chinese media, at least 447 Falun Gong practitioners were sentenced by Chinese courts in the first half of 2024. These practitioners were from twenty-seven different provinces and regions.
Among those sentenced, 62 were over the age of 60, including one between 90 and 100, six between 80 and 90, 27 between 70 and 80, and 28 between 60 and 70, with the oldest being 94 years old.
Of the sentenced practitioners, 222 (57%) received prison terms of more than three years, while 167 (43%) were given sentences of less than three years. Jiao Chuanfu, a practitioner from Jilin Province, was sentenced to 10 years, and Hu Fengjun from Liaoning Province received an 11-year sentence.
Eighty-seven practitioners were also fined more than 10,000 yuan, with the highest fine reaching 50,000 yuan.
From January to May 2024, Falun Gong reported 84 practitioners who died as a result of persecution. These deaths might have occurred months or even years earlier, but were only reported within this period.
