Nine Practitioners Tried in Loudi Court in Hunan Province

Louxing District Court in Loudi City, Hunan Province, tried nine Falun Gong practitioners on March 12th, 2010. They were arrested in July 2009. Their names are: Cao Gongxun, Liu Xinping, Zhou Qingfeng, Ouyang Zhong, He Jinlin, Deng Lianzhen, Li Zaiying, Xie Guirong, and Yuan Qiudi. Attorneys Zhang Chuanli from the Jingshun Law Office in Beijing and Lan Zhixue from the Jiafa Law Office in Beijing pled "not guilty" on behalf of Liu Xinping and Ouyang Zhong.

The trial started at 9:00 a.m. on March 12th. The presiding judge, Zhou Min (about 37 years old) was hostile and belligerent towards the practitioners. As soon as a practitioner mentioned the physical benefits he or she gained from practising Falun Gong, Zhou Min rudely cut in.

Two public prosecutors, including Liu Gang from the Louxing District Procuratorate, participated in the proceedings. First, a prosecutor cross-examined the practitioners. After Attorney Zhang Chuanli protested the prosecutor's rudeness, the prosecutor softened his attitude a bit. Later, a plainclothes policeman came out to take photos of the attorneys. Attorney Lan Zhixue raised his hand and said, "I protest this illegal photography. The photographer should show an ID, please." The photographer left.

The defence attorneys pointed out that the prosecutors didn't provide any witness testimony, material evidence, time, or location, and that the statements of charges to the Court and lawyers were different. Lan Zhixue pointed out that there were many loopholes in the charges as stated, and that the "evidence" noted in the statement was not presented in court. The attorneys asked that the prosecutors read out the legal provisions related to Falun Gong. Both the judge and the prosecutors were struck dumb. All nine practitioners declared that they were not guilty and were being persecuted. The lawyers asked for an immediate dismissal of the charges.

The trial ended at 3:30 p.m. without any verdict being announced. Nevertheless, Cao Gongxun, Liu Xinping, and He Jinlin were subsequently sent to the Loudi City No. 1 Detention Centre. Ouyang Zhong and Zhou Qingfeng were sent to the Loudi City No. 2 Detention Centre. The practitioners' family members asked Judge Zhou Min to release them, but he told them, "The results will be announced in about a month."

Key Persecutors:
Liu Gang, officer with the Louxing District Procuratorate: 86-15973089889, 86-738-8352041
Zhou Min, presiding judge of the Procuratorate: 86-738-8520029
Zhou Jihong, presiding judge of the Procuratorate: 86-13907388959, 86-738-8656422
Lan Lin, head of the Louxing District Domestic Security Division: 86-13907380126
Li Gangjun, deputy head of the Domestic Security Division: 86-13548806192
Wang Xuejun, team head of the Domestic Security Division: 86-738-6197969
Louxing District 610 Office: 86-738-8288610
Zhang Yungen, head of the 610 Office: 86-13327380186
Wei Xiaopeng, deputy head of the 610 Office: 86-13508447729

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/3/16/219897.html