Moscow, Russia - Authorities have deported a follower of the Falun Gong spiritual group and her daughter to China, where they face persecution, human rights activists said Wednesday.
Russian followers of the group, which is banned in China, said Ma Hui and her daughter Ma Jin, 18, were detained by immigration officials on March 28 and immediately put on a plane bound for Beijing.
Their detention coincided with the final day of an official visit to Russia by Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The Federal Immigration Service has made no official statement on the expulsion and was not available for comment on Wednesday.
Ma Hui had been living in St. Petersburg for several years, said Ivan Shkodyuk, a senior Russian Falun Gong follower.