Additional Name(s): 张霞
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Religion or Belief: Falun Gong
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 7 Years, 5 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: March/15/2016
Date of Sentencing: June//2017
Current Status: Unknown
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Criticizing Religious Freedom Conditions Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Cult
Zhang Xia was imprisoned for her religious activity.
On March 15, 2016, police in Dalian municipality, Liaoning province detained Zhang and later raided her home, confiscating her personal belongings and Falun Gong-related materials. Two days later, Zhang's husband, Sun Jun, was arrested after going to the police station to learn more about her detention. Zhang was reportedly targeted after filing a complaint against former official Jiang Zemin whom she blamed for her prior detainment related to her Falun Gong activity.
In June 2017, Zhang was sentenced to seven years and five months in prison for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
On an unspecified date, the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court rejected Zhang's appeal.
In September 2017, Zhang was transferred to Liaoning Province Women’s Prison.
Zhang's sentence should have ended in August 2023.
Related Cases: Sun Jun
"Zhang Xia" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
"Additional Persecution News from China – February 26, 2020 (9 Reports)" Minghui.org