Tianjin Judge Forces Ms. Dong Huiyue to Dismiss Her Lawyer

Practitioners Ms. Wang Xiuwen, Ms. Li Chunjuan, Ms. Gao Chunping, and Ms. Dong Huiyue from Ninghe County, Tianjin, were arrested in August 2010. The Ninghe Public Security Departments planned to try them. Ms. Dong Huiyue was released on bail, but the three other practitioners are being held in the Ninghe Detention Centre. On the morning of January 10th, Ms. Dong was summoned to the court. Judge Li Changxi tried to force her to write a repentance statement to renounce practising Falun Gong and ordered her to dismiss her lawyer. Ms. Dong refused to comply. She said, “Falun Gong is good. It is not wrong to practise Falun Gong. I was told I could have a lawyer. The constitution grants me the right to a lawyer.” The judge then detained her.

On January 13th, at 8:30 a.m., Ms. Dong’s mother sought out Li Changxi, deputy presiding judge of the First Criminal Court, and asked for permission to visit her daughter. Li Changxi sent her to see the presiding judge, Han Zhenbei. Han said to Ms. Dong Huiyue’s mother, “If you want to see your daughter, you will have to fire the lawyer you hired for her. The outcome then depends on how you advise your daughter and whether she admits she is guilty or not.” Ms. Dong’s mother replied, “You allowed us to hire a lawyer. I can't turn away him just because you say so.” Han said, “Even if you don't dismiss him, I will talk to his supervisor (and advise him to quit).” Han adopted a surly attitude and kept pressuring Ms. Dong’s mother. Ms. Dong’s mother was never allowed to visit her daughter.

Ms. Dong Huiyue’s father, Mr. Dong Guangdong, is a farmer from Zhongxinggu Village, Jiangu Town, Dabei, Ninghe County. On March 31st, 2005, at 9:30 p.m., Wang Baoxiang, public security director of Zhongxinggu Village, and officers from the Tianjin Domestic Security Team, the Ninghe Domestic Security Team, and the Dabei Police Station ransacked his home and arrested him. The police rummaged through the whole house and even took his bed apart. They confiscated a printer, a fax machine, a copy machine, and some Falun Gong materials. His wife was forced to become homeless and destitute after hearing that her husband had been arrested. The Ninghe Court sentenced Mr. Dong Guangdong to seven and a half years in prison on December 5th, 2005. At the time, Ms. Dong Huiyue was just 15 years old.

Five years have passed, and Mr. Dong Guangdong is still being detained. Ms. Dong Huiyue has also been arrested and is being detained.

Han Zhenbei, presiding judge of the First Criminal Court: 86-22-69561327 (Office), 86-22-69599628 (Home), 86-13652195269 (Mobile)

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/1/15/234912.html