85-Year-Old Woman Sentenced Again for Practicing Falun Gong

In February 2025, Yuncheng County Court sentenced Wang Xiangling, an 85-year-old resident of Shandong Province, to one year in prison and fined her 5,000 yuan for practicing Falun Gong, according to Weiquanwang. The website aggregates reports of abuse from human rights defenders across China. This case marks a troubling escalation in the ongoing crackdown on elderly Falun Gong practitioners in the region.

Wang Xiangling’s case is part of a broader campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. On July 11, 2024, authorities in Juye County executed a group arrest, during which six practitioners were detained, and their homes were ransacked. The detainees were seniors of varying ages: the oldest was Ms. Wang Xiangling in her 80s, and then Ms. Ma Xiuqin in her 70s, next in age were Ms. Xu Baoqin, Ms. Liu Qiuxia, and Ms. Cao Xiuzhi, all in their 60s, and finally Ms. Wang Yanling in her 50s.  

This operation reflects an intensifying effort by local authorities to suppress Falun Gong—a spiritual practice that has faced systematic persecution since a nationwide crackdown was initiated in July 1999.

Before the crackdown, Ms. Wang led a life burdened by chronic illness. In July 1998, when she first embraced Falun Gong, her severe rheumatoid arthritis, painful skin conditions, and vision problems were debilitating. Known as a sickly woman who struggled with everyday tasks, she found hope in the teachings of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

According to documented accounts on Minghui, her health improved dramatically after she began practicing Falun Gong, transforming her into a beacon of resilience and kindness in her community. She took her mother-in-law into her home and cared for her until she passed away, earning praise from her in-laws for her kindness and devotion.

Since the Chinese Communist Party initiated its persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, Ms. Wang has repeatedly found herself at the mercy of state repression.

Late 1999 & 2000: Following the nationwide crackdown, she traveled to Beijing to petition against the persecution. In December 2000, Beijing’s Daxing police beat her and detained her for six days. Shortly after, officers from Juye County’s 610 Office forcibly abducted her, resulting in four months of illegal detention and an arbitrary fine of 9,000 yuan.

April 2001-2004: Ms. Wang was sent to a labor camp in Wang Village, where she had endured grueling forced labor from dawn until midnight for three years, suffering severe physical pain and lasting health issues.

2015–2016: Demonstrating remarkable courage, she filed a real-name lawsuit against former CCP leader Jiang Zemin in July 2015. This act of defiance was met with further suppression when local authorities detained her again in October 2016.

February 2018: The cycle of repression was repeated when she was once more sentenced by the Juye County Court to one year in prison and extorted 5,000 yuan for advocating to end the persecution.

The latest sentencing in February 2025 marks yet another chapter in a long history of punitive measures aimed at silencing her about her spiritual practice. She is currently detained at the Heze City Detention Center. Ms. Wang has appealed her case to Heze City Court.

Ms. Wang’s repeated persecution underscores a broader campaign of repression against Falun Gong practitioners across China. Despite her advanced age, her steadfast commitment to her beliefs has made her a powerful symbol of resistance against what many international observers describe as state-sponsored human rights abuses.

The international community has long expressed deep concerns over the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, especially when vulnerable, elderly individuals are targeted. The ongoing persecution calls for heightened scrutiny and accountability of the rights abuses by Chinese authorities.

Wang Xiangling’s resilience in the face of relentless persecution remains a potent reminder of the human cost of religious repression and the enduring struggle for fundamental freedoms.