Honest Judge Ms. Li Mei Framed by the Hefei Court

Name: Li Mei
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown (forties or fifties)
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Judge of the Hefei Intermediate Court
Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 12, 2008
Most recent place of detention: Hefei No. 2 Detention Centre
City: Hefei
Province: Anhui
Persecution Suffered: Forced labour, interrogation, detention, home ransacked

Defence Attorney: Cheng Hai

A trial was held on December 8th, 2009, in the Yaohai District Court in Hefei City, charging Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Li Mei, a former judge of the Hefei Intermediate People's Court in Anhui Province. During the trial process, Ms. Li's defence lawyer Cheng Hai pointed out many violations by the Yaohai District Court. At this public trial, the Yaohai District Court openly violated the law. From the case filing procedure to the trial process, the court showed many loopholes and inconsistencies.

As a Falun Gong practitioner who followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, Ms. Li Mei was deeply respected by many petitioners due to her honesty, integrity and expertise when she was a judge.

Based on the following few key factors, we can see that six offences were perpetrated by the Yaohai District Court

1. No basis for filing the case: Ms. Li's lawyer pointed out one of the principles of law and justice, "No action constitutes a violation if it is not written in the law." For example, anyone can search the existing laws in China, but no one can find a law that says "Practising Falun Gong is a crime." All the orders designed to suppress Falun Gong are secretly down in the form of instructions and documentation. No instructions or documentation developed by any group or person with power can replace the law or serve as a basis for conviction. What is the basis for any court case to be filed? Of course, it is the law. Nevertheless, the Yaohai District Court filed a case without any legal basis, and this is a clear violation of the Code of Criminal Procedures.

2. Lack of filing procedures: During the trial process, when Ms. Li's lawyer requested the court to see the filing documentation, the clerk said, "I don't have it." Her lawyer immediately said, "How can we have a trial without the case being filed?" If the court doesn't follow this most basic practice, how can people trust that it will make for a fair hearing which is based on the law?

3. Illegally gathering evidence: In the absence of the case being filed in the court, the public security organ conducted a house search to gather evidence, and such "evidence" was adopted by the Yaohai District Court as a legal basis.

4. Non-compliance with the "inform" procedure and barring witnesses from the trial: Before the trial, the Yaohai District Court failed to notify Ms. Li of the court appearance, so as to situate her in an unprepared state. Not only that, when Ms. Li's lawyer requested that witnesses come to the court, the Yaohai District Court refused their entrance. This was a clear violation of the law. If witnesses aren't allowed to testify in court, then there is no fair trial.

5. Interfering with the lawyer in gathering evidence: When Ms. Li's lawyer went to gather evidence in the court, Yang Lianwen, the presiding judge, and Wu Mingxia, the judge, failed to provide her with the requested materials. If the court was fair and just, why would it fear providing the lawyer with any materials?

6. The presiding judge of this case, Wu Mingxia, has a record of unfair rulings and violations. This raises doubts whether she had any bias in ruling this trial fairly according to the law. She had previously illegally sentenced six to seven practitioners to prison. What she had executed was not the law of the country, but the "documentation" and "instructions" illegally developed and implemented by Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese Communist Party Secretary.

In view of the above reasons, we request the "World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" to place this case on file for future investigation. Meanwhile, we sternly warn Wu Mingxia and all other judges who have tried Falun Gong practitioners: Fame and fortune do not last forever, but conscience and justice are eternal. Just think, what were those people's feelings after they went against their conscience and sentenced Zhang Zhixin to jail during the Cultural Revolution? Illegally trying someone against your conscience will only leave your life with irrevocable remorse.

Key Persecutors:

Lu Zhongjing, director of the 610 Office and deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Committee in Hefei City: 86-551-3537702
Li Qiong, deputy director of the 610 Office and deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Committee in Hefei City: 86-551-3537712
Xu Jian, director of the Intermediate Court in Hefei City: 86-551-5352008
Tang Yigan, deputy director of the Intermediate Court in Hefei City, 86-551-5352168

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/12/12/214265.html