Qitaihe Intermediate Court Officials Conduct a Show Trial and Uphold Original Sentences Against Three Practitioners

Xinxing Court officials from Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province tried and sentenced Mr. Li Xinchun, Mr. Jiang Botao and Mr. Guo Qizhong in April 2010. The three practitioners appealed their sentences, but Qitaihe Intermediate Court officials recently upheld the original sentences.

According to officials handling the case, an order from the higher-ups stated that a heavy sentence would be levied against those practitioners who hired lawyers. The court officials have not given the written verdicts to the practitioners' families who only know that the three practitioners were sentenced to between four and five years in prison. The officials also acquiesced that they were not the ones who made the final decision. They only conducted a show trial.

Mr. Li, Mr. Jiang and Mr. Guo and others from Qitaihe City were arrested on September 22nd, 2009. Xinxing Court officials tried them and three others practitioners on April 1st-2nd, 2010. The defence attorney exposed in court that the so-called evidence the police provided was false, and the prosecutor was unable to present a single piece of evidence, and neither was there a witness. The court officials covertly announced the verdicts for Mr. Li, Mr. Jiang and Mr. Guo in the detention centre. The three practitioners appealed. The intermediate court officials orally informed their families that the practitioners' original verdicts were upheld.

As a rule, the families are supposed to be able to meet with their loved ones after the verdicts are announced, but the detention centre officials denied their right to visit.

Officials responsible for the case:
Tang Wenguang: in charge of the three practitioners' cases in the intermediate court. He worked as a juror at the Taoshan District Court in 2003 in Qitaihe City. At that time, the court officials handed 17 practitioners prison terms, and three practitioners were subjected to forced labour terms.

Bi Shuqing, Qitaihe City Police Department 610 Office head: 86-13946550880, 86-13314640880, 86-464-8281932 (Home), 86-464-8284932, 86-464-8297021 (Office)

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2010/6/20/225675.html