Nong'an County Court in Jilin Province sentenced seven Falun Gong practitioners in March 2009, including Mr. Han Xixiang, Ms. Wang Xiuping (wife of Han Xixiang), Mr. Li Fengming, Ms. Zhao Yushu (wife of Li Fengming), Mr. Zhang Wanjun, Mr. Wei Cheng, and Mr. Qi Yunchao. The practitioners have appealed to Changchun Intermediate Court, but the court has unreasonably delayed their case again and again. Presently, the court wants to pronounce a judgement without trial, and it claims that "There is no need to follow court procedures regarding Falun Gong issues."
In December 2008, Nong'an County Court conducted a "secret trial" against the seven practitioners without notifying their families. On March 27th, 2009 the court used the same tactic and pronounced judgement against them. The practitioners did not agree with the verdict and jointly appealed to Changchun Intermediate Court. Practitioners in Nong'an County and the family members of the seven practitioners hired 14 lawyers to defend them.
Now the appeal period has ended and the family members have again and again called the court to order a hearing, but the court has stalled them with one excuse after another.
On September 7th, the court, without confirming if a court session would open, demanded that the lawyers submit their defence, saying that the court would only be able to decide whether or not to convene a hearing after it had received the defence submissions. Since when is a defence submission a prerequisite for a hearing? It is all too clear that the court is playing deceptive tricks. The practitioners and their families have seen through the deceit and instructed their lawyers, "If the court does not confirm that it will convene a session, then do not submit the defence."
On October 23rd, six months after the appeal deadline had passed, Changchun Intermediate Court notified the lawyers that they would pronounce judgement on October 23rd.
It is a violation of the law for the court to pronounce judgement without holding a trial and without allowing any defence. When the family members pointed this out, the court replied, "There is no need to follow legal procedures regarding Falun Gong issues." Such are things today in communist China country supposedly "ruled by law," and such are human rights under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime.
Changchun Intermediate Court was due to deliver a judgement against the seven practitioners at 2:00 p.m. on October 23rd at Nong'an County Court.
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/10/23/210968.html
* * *
You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.
more ...