Jinchang City Court Holds Closed Trial for Ms. Wang Yumei and Ms. Li Xia

On January 20th, 2010, the Jinchuan District Court in Jinchang City, Gansu Province held a closed-door trial for Ms. Wang Yumei, Ms. Li Xia, and Mr. Shi Ruzhen. No family members or practitioners were allowed in the court. No verdict was announced after the day-long trial. A rumour circulated that the court would sentence the practitioners for distributing Falun Gong DVDs and the Jinchang City 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) was behind the scenes manipulating the trial.

Ms. Wang, 41, and Ms. Li, 48, were arrested on June 22nd, 2009. That day, agents from the Jinchang City 610 Office and officers from Jinchang City Police Department and several police stations arrested at least twenty practitioners. These practitioners' homes were ransacked and their property confiscated.

On the afternoon of January 13th, 2010, the Jinchuan District Court held the first trial for Ms. Wang, Ms. Li and seventy-three year old Mr. Shi Ruzheng. The court listed the trial as an open trial, but police officers blocked the door and denied all requests for entry. Cheng Guang, the chief judge, went to the door and said that no audience members would be allowed in the courtroom because the case involved "national secrets". He responded to people challenging him, saying, "Do you want to be put on trail, then come in." The trial lasted two and a half hours, and Mr. Shi was released afterwards.

Li Shengwei, secretary of Jinchang City Political and Judiciary Committee: 86-935-8229340
Cheng Tao, director of Jinchang City Police Department: 86-935-8212422
Liu Zhiguo, deputy director of Jinchang City Police Department: 86-935-8212432
Shang Kewu, division chief of Domestic Security Division of Jinchang City Police Department: 86-935-8212293

Shi (first name unknown), director of Jinchuang District Police Department: 86-935-8213993
Wang Yongganh, president of Jinchuang District Court: 86-935-8213016
Wei Chongwei, vice president of Jinchuang District Court: 86-935-8212937

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/2/5/217589.html