Chinese Security Agents Conduct Mass Arrests of Falun Gong in Shandong Province and Mass Sentencing in Hunan

On September 29, more than thirty Falun Gong practitioners in Jinan were arrested for their faith in Falun Gong. At least 16 remain in detention at the time of writing, according to a Nov.13 report by Minghui.org.

Similarly, on Nov. 12, 2025, ten Falun Gong practitioners in Changde City, Hunan Province, were sentenced to prison for practicing their faith.

These arrests and sentencing closely mirror patterns outlined by the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC) in its July 2025 report, “Revitalized Repression: How Chinese Security Forces are Cracking Down Harder on Elderly, Veteran Falun Gong Practitioners.”

The report documented 102 detention cases reported between February and April 2025. Drawn from Minghui and Weiquanwang websites—both of which aggregate reports from grassroots activists and religious believers—this sample represents only a portion of nationwide cases. Yet the common features across these reports highlight evolving tactics and an intensifying campaign of persecution across China.

Large-scale coordinated arrests

A key trend identified in the FDIC report is the increasing use of large-scale, coordinated arrest operations overseen by specialized political-security bodies. For example, in Jilin City, Jilin Province, seven Falun Gong practitioners were seized in a mass roundup on June 4, 2023, orchestrated by the local “610 Office,” the National Security Brigade, and district police. More than 30 practitioners were detained based on a predetermined target list.

A similar pattern unfolded in Jinan. The Sept. 29 operation was directed by a task force under the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the 610 Office, with police executing arrests strictly according to pre-compiled name lists. Authorities had reportedly surveilled practitioners’ daily routines for months prior to the coordinated sweep.

Arrests began early in the morning. Detainees were initially brought to case-processing centers for interrogations before being transferred to multiple detention centers across the city; several were interrogated again after transfer.

• Mr. Fang Yusheng, 60, a retiree from the Shandong Province Family Planning Commission, was deceived into opening his door before officers ransacked his home for three hours. He and his wife were taken to separate detention centers. 
• Ms. Xu Naiming, 75, and her husband in his 70s were both arrested; Ms. Xu was released on November 1, while her husband remains in custody.
• Mr. Liu Ruping, 64, and Ms. Zhang Chenglan, 62, were taken to different detention centers after their early-morning arrests and remain detained.
• Ms. Ji Fenglan, 60, was seized by over ten officers. Citing the expiration of a previous bail order, authorities claimed her case required “special handling.” She was forcibly subjected to injections for high blood pressure despite uncertainty over her condition. Her arrest has been formally approved.
• Ms. Wang Qinping, a housemaid, was arrested at home and given a formal arrest warrant while being held at the Jinan City Detention Center.

A detailed list of 35 confirmed detainees has been compiled, with additional arrests reported in Changqing and Zhangqiu Districts still being verified.

Mass sentencing in Hunan Province

In Changde City, Hunan Province, the ten practitioners sentenced on Nov. 12, 2025, were among more than 30 locals arrested during a police sweep conducted between 5 and 7 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2023. Their homes were ransacked during the operation.

Six of those arrested were initially taken to a lockup facility. Two were soon released due to high blood pressure, and four others were released after 10 or 15 days of detention. The remaining practitioners—including the ten later sentenced—were held at a brainwashing center located inside Xin’an Middle School.

The sentencing outcomes are as follows:

• Ms. Wang Xiaoqun, 76: 5 years in prison, fined 8,000 yuan
• Ms. Li Dongzhi: 4 years, fined 6,000 yuan
• Mr. Li Weiyun and Ms. Yin Hong, 54: 3 years and 9 months, fined 6,000 yuan each
• Ms. Liu Xianju, 64, and Ms. Yao Zhou, 53, an employee of the Wuling District Tax Bureau: 3 years and 6 months, fined 5,000 yuan each
• Ms. Yang Biqiong, 73: 3 years, fined 5,000 yuan
• Mr. Yang Guiming, 60+: 2.5 years with 3 years’ probation, fined 4,000 yuan
• Ms. You Chuyun: 1 year with 1.5 years’ probation, fined 2,000 yuan
• Ms. Dong Mingfang: 9 months with 1 year’s probation, fined 1,500 yuan

Elderly a prime targetMass sentencing following mass arrests

The FDIC report highlights a striking nationwide pattern: elderly practitioners are disproportionately targeted in the renewed crackdown.

Among the 102 detention cases analyzed, the average age was 64, and at least 74% were over 60 years old, including individuals in their 80s and 90s. At least three elderly practitioners died shortly after their most recent arrests.

The Jinan arrests closely reflect this trend. Of the 27 practitioners whose ages are confirmed, 21—or roughly 78%—are over 60, including six in their 80s.

Similarly, in the Changde sentencing case, of the 6 practitioners whose ages are confirmed, 4—or approximately 67%—are over 60.

The targeting of seniors—many of whom previously endured long-term incarceration, forced labor, and physical abuse—underscores the campaign’s escalating severity and its disregard for the health and vulnerability of older citizens.

Majority of detainees were women 

Another key finding from the FDIC report is that women make up the majority of newly arrested Falun Gong practitioners. Of the 102 documented cases, 72% (73 individuals) were female.

The Jinan arrests are consistent with this trend: among the 32 detainees whose genders are confirmed, 23 (approximately 72%) are women.

Likewise, seven out of the ten practitioners ( 70%) sentenced in the Changde case are women.

Given the documented history of gender-specific abuses in custody—including humiliation, sexual violence, and coercive “ideological transformation”—the disproportionate detention of women raises serious concerns about their safety and treatment in detention facilities.

Conclusion and recommendations

The comparison between the Jinan mass arrests, the Changde mass sentencing, and the trends identified in the FDIC report makes clear that these incidents are not isolated events. Rather, they reflect a broader, nationwide escalation in the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners—characterized by coordinated mass arrests, intensified targeting of the elderly, and a disproportionate impact on women.

As the FDIC warned in July, if these trends continue, hundreds or even thousands of Falun Gong practitioners across China—many of whom have avoided arrest for more than a decade—face imminent risk of detention as authorities systematically seek out known believers. Once in custody, they face a high risk of torture, long-term imprisonment, and even death.

The dangers confronting these prisoners of conscience were underscored by another recent case in Liaoning Province, where a 45-year-old daughter died just three days after being admitted to prison for practicing Falun Gong.

Accordingly, the Falun Dafa Information Center calls on the United States, European Union, and other governments to: 

• Publicly condemn the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong—including its recent intensification and targeting of elderly believers—and call for the release of all practitioners
• Raise concerns with Chinese counterparts about the detention and abuse in custody of Falun Gong practitioners, including individuals named above. 
• Impose sanctions on Chinese officials for their role in severe human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners.
• In the United States, the Senate should vote on and pass the Falun Gong Protection Act, which passed the House of Representatives in May. This legislation would clarify U.S. policy on Falun Gong, increase transparency, and enhance accountability, especially surrounding forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. Other parliaments should introduce and adopt similar legislation. 

Updated on Dec. 15, 2025