Seven Falun Gong Practitioners Brought to Trial For the Second Time

At 9 a.m. on June 1st, 2010 seven Falun Gong practitioners were brought to trial for a second time in the Bayuquan District, Yingkou City, Liaoning Province. The first trial took place on March 23rd, 2010.

The practitioners were Mr. Dong Bing, Mr. Bi Shijun and his wife Sun Li, Mr. Shen Guanghai and his wife Teng Wenmin, Mr. Wang Zhiyuan and his mother Ms. Yu Zhihong. The chief judge, Ying Wencheng, told the practitioners' relatives that the court had informed their defence lawyers to appear in court three days before the trial, but they failed to do so. The relatives did not receive any information about the trial until May 31st. When they called the lawyers, immediately they were told that they had never received any messages from the court or the procuratorate. They wanted to appear in court to defend the practitioners, but it was already too late because they lived in another city, far away from Yingkou City.

In the trial all, practitioners stated that they were innocent. The trial ended promptly at 11a.m. when the judge adjourned the court session.

Officials involved in the trial were the chief judge, Ying Wencheng, a female prosecutor, Cao Ning, and others. Cao Ning referred to the evidence provided by the police from the National Security Group of Bayuquan District, in which they claimed that Falun Gong practitioners opposed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The practitioners had been brought to trial on March 23rd, 2010. At the time four lawyers represented them and they pleaded not guilty, stating that Falun Gong and everything that these practitioners did was legal. They requested that the practitioners be released immediately, since the prosecutors could not cite any laws to back their accusations.

The practitioners' relatives who attended the trial also requested the immediate release of the practitioners, but the court recorder ordered the court police to clear the court, thus evicting the relatives. After that the judge adjourned the court.

Later the relatives went to the court, the procuratorate, the Law Section of the Police Department and the National Security Group to ask for the release of the practitioners. However, officials in charge of the case simply told them to seek justice in other government departments with the excuse that they could not make any decisions. They then went to the People's Congress of Bayuquan District. The officials there told them that they had the power to supervise the judicial system but could not interfere with the details of any cases. They told them to seek justice from the court, the procuratorate and the police department.

According to a court chief, Ms. Yao Qiang, a 62-year-old practitioner, would be brought to trial soon. Ms. Yao was arrested on November 24th, 2009 by police from Honghai Police Station and the National Security Group of Bayuquan District and has been held in the Yingkou City Detention Centre ever since. On the day Ms. Yao was arrested police called her husband, who does not practise Falun Gong, and told him to come to the National Security Group, saying that they wanted to have a talk with him. When he went there he was detained and was not released until he paid the police 5,000 yuan¹ as a fine. He asked policeman Wang Hongkui: "How come you are cheating me?" He said: "Yes, we are cheating you."

Another practitioner, Ms. Yang Lijun, a 64-year-old paediatrician, was arrested on September 23rd, 2009 by the National Security Group. She was released the next day because of her poor physical condition, but her home has been monitored by police since then.

People responsible for the persecution:

Wang Hongkui, an officer from the Bayuquan District National Security Group: 86-417-6217143, 86-13841755119 (Mobile);
Hui Huaiqi, director of the National Security Group: 86-417-6217005, 86-13940793487 (Mobile);;
Cao Ning, female, 29 years old, an officer from Bayuquan District Procuratorate in charge of Falun Gong cases: 86-417-6200221 (Office), 86-13470418222 (Mobile);
Zhang Jihua, chief of the Bayuquan District Procuratorate: 86-13904070998 (Mobile), 86-417-6254100 (Office), 86-417-6228606 (Home);
Sun Hongwei, chief of the prosecution section of Bayuquan District Procuratorate: 86-13941747033 (Mobile);, 86-417-6888567 (Home), 86-417-6200210 (Office);
Wang Yecheng, chief of the Bayuquan District court: 86-13394171077 (Mobile), 86-417-6169071 (Office), 86-417-6289555 (Home);
Ying Wencheng, deputy chief of the Bayuquan District court: 86-13394171058 (Mobile), 86-13390478592 (Mobile);
Zhang Guangye, an officer from the Law Section of Bayuquan District Police Department: 86-13941765268 (Mobile); 86-417-6222955(Home)

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/6/3/224793.html