Cao Dong Secretly Sent to Tianshui City's Third Prison in Gansu Province

In March 2007, under the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) orders and manipulation, the Qingyang City's Intermediate Court in Gansu Province insisted on not having an open second trial of practitioner Mr. Cao Dong, and instead secretly decided to uphold the previous sentence. Mr. Cao faces five years' imprisonment.

Mr. Cao Dong met with the European Parliament's Vice President Mr. McMillan-Scott on May 21st, 2006. In order to rescue his wife who was detained and persecuted at the time, Mr. Cao told the Vice President about the brutal persecution of his wife, himself and other practitioners he knew. Two hours after the meeting, Mr. Cao was arrested by the CCP's national security agents and transferred to Gansu Province. On February 8th, 2007, he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment by the CCP controlled court.

After the sentence, some new witnesses and testimony came up proving Mr. Cao's innocence. His defence lawyer rewrote an appeal statement based on these facts. Mr. Cao himself filed the appeal. However, the Qingyang City Intermediate Court in Gansu Province, under the CCP's control, refused to consider the new evidence and testimony using the excuse that the witnesses were also Falun Gong practitioners, and were therefore disqualified. The court did not openly have the second trial and in March 2007 secretly determined to retain the original sentence. To mislead the public, the court put up the appearance as if they had not reached the final verdict on the case. This way they could escape international media attention, investigation, and condemnation.

Cao Dong's family received the second trial result last month, three months after the decision was made in secret. During these three months, his family, suffering the ordeal of not knowing his whereabouts or any information about him, could only go to the government personnel in charge of Cao Dong's case or his lawyer for any possible information. However, the related authorities and personnel made excuses while they had actually already transferred Cao Dong from Lanzhou City to the Third Prison in Gansu Province, Tianshui City in secret.

Mr. Cao's wife Yang Xiaojing is 42 years old. The couple has not spent a month's time together after their marriage. Since 2000 they have been imprisoned and sent to forced labour camps in turn. They could only visit each other in prison from time to time.

Cao Dong's father, living in his hometown in Gansu Province, had a stroke in 2000 after hearing Cao Dong was sentenced for the first time. The current sentence made it worse for his father's physical and mental health. Cao Dong's grandmother, with whom Mr. Cao had spent his childhood and has a deep affection, is over 80 years old. His grandmother is very weak, so the family did not dare to tell her the news of Cao's sentence, fearing that it would worsen her health. Cao Dong's younger sister is just starting high school. His mother has to attend to his grandmother and younger sister while taking care of her sick husband. His mother is worried about Cao Dong and, at the same time, she is being harassed and threatened by the CCP's National Security Ministry and legal system. She is suffering both mentally and physically with a heavy burden. The whole family is filled with an atmosphere of worry and depression.

Cao Dong is an only son. He is bright, intelligent and energetic. After graduating from a well known university in Beijing, he found a well paying job in a travel agency and started his own happy family. Naturally he had become the hope of his parents. Now, he has upheld his belief while trying to rescue his wife and speak out for justice for Falun Gong. However, his family's hope and happiness have been completely destroyed by the CCP.

Reference: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200705/39717.html

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/7/26/159610.html