Mr. Liu Qingwei, Ms. Mai Weilian from Dianbai County, Guangdong Province Sentenced to Prison

Name: Liu Qingwei
Gender: Male
Name: Mai Weilian
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Address: Dianbai County, Maoming, Guangdong Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: August 6th, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Dianbai No. 1 Detention Centre
City: Maoming
Province: Guangdong
Persecution Suffered: Detention

Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Liu Qingwei and Ms. Mai Weilian were arrested on August 6th, 2011 by police led by Xiao Xiong, head of the Dianbai 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong). They were taken to a brainwashing centre, and are now critically ill from undergoing persecution. Their families requested their release; however, police department officials transferred them to the Dianbai No. 1 Detention Centre. They were sentenced to four, and three years in prison, respectively.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on December 12th, the practitioners' family received a call from the Dianbai County Courthouse, informing them: “Your family member will be on trial this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Only family members with identification cards can receive court attendance permits and be allowed in the courtroom.” When the family asked why this trial was private, when court trials for other people are open to the public, they replied: “This case is special. It is not open to the public.” The official then ended the call.

At 2:00 p.m. that afternoon, police were placed on the highest level alert in military formation to prepare for the trials. Family members and relatives were required to present identification cards in order to receive court attendance permits.

The families finally saw Mr. Liu and Ms. Mai in the courtroom after several months of detention, since they hadn't been allowed to visit them in the detention centre. Mr. Liu Qingwei was emaciated, and his face swollen. Ms. Mai Weilian was also emaciated and had a dark complexion. The families requested the court release them immediately and unconditionally, however, court officials didn't respond to their request.

At 3:00 p.m. on December 13th, a member of Mr. Liu’s family went to the county 610 Office. She contacted Xiao Xiong and asked him to release Mr. Liu. She also informed him that Mr. Liu was emaciated and his face swollen, and asked if he had hepatitis. Xiao Xiong evaded responsibility by saying, “I have no authority in this case. You need to go to the court. I could help you to ask.” He then quickly ended the meeting. On the morning of December 14th, Mr. Liu’s family went to the county Office for Letters and Calls, and requested Mr. Liu's release on bail for medical treatment. The person receiving this request was Huang Xinnan, but he refused to process the request.

Chinese Communist Party officials have previously held secret trials and sentenced Falun Gong practitioners without informing their families. On the morning of December 27th, Mr. Liu's family went to the County Police Department and requested Lin Zhiwei release the practitioners. Lin said, “I have told you many times - it's no use for you to come to me. The court sentences them; you need to find criminal court chief judge Chen Guoquan.” He then called Chen Guoquan in the presence of the family, and asked if the practitioners had been sentenced. Chen replied that they had been sentenced. The family asked Lin Zhiwei, “Why wasn’t our family notified of this secret trial?” Mr. Liu’s elderly mother was visibly shaken by this news. She sat on the floor, choked with tears, crying, “I couldn’t have imagined that this would happen! One goes to jail for practising truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Those who kill and rob go free! Heavens, please open your eyes! My son did nothing wrong!” Lin Zhiwei saw her reaction, slipped back into the Office of Letters and Calls, and refused to allow the family inside.

With no alternatives left, the family went to the court during lunchtime. They approached judge Lin Ming and asked, “Why don’t you notify the families for Falun Gong practitioners’ trials?” Lin replied, “There is no need to explain this. You can come back at 2:30 this afternoon to pick up the written judgment. We are off duty now.”

On the morning of December 28th, the family went back to the court. Lin Ming told a staff member, “Give them the written judgment for Falun Gong, but have them sign the other document first.” The family tried to read the written judgment; however, it was written in indiscernible script, so no one could understand it. The family requested Lin Ming sign the document. Lin said, “Our names are on the document, it's authentic.” The family refused to sign the other document, but took the written judgment and were about to leave when another staff member stopped them and took back the written judgment.

Mr. Liu Qingwei is the cornerstone of his family; his parents are over eighty years old, and his daughter is only eight. Since his arrest, his family’s financial situation has declined. His parents are emotionally distraught, and their physical condition has deteriorated from the stress; they're currently on medication. Liu’s young daughter often asks, “When is daddy coming home?” She wrote a letter to her imprisoned father. Since Mr. Liu was sentenced to prison, his child will not receive her father's care for a long time.

Persons/offices responsible:

Dianbai County area code: +86-668

Dianbai County Court, Criminal Court:

Address: 229 Guangnan Road, Shuidong Township, Dianbai County, Maoming, Guangdong Province

Chen Guoquan, chief judge: 5539233, 5523508, +86-13902517116

Yang Chen’an: 5526017, 5881211, +86-18929733122

Lin Ming: 5526017, 5128328, +86-13592958900

Dianbai No. 1 Detention Centre: 5521108

Xu Huaxi, director, Police Department: 5135016, +86-13702861118

Xiao Xiong, Diaobai 610 Office: 5115166, 5599407, 5115308, +86-13702895369

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2012/1/2/251363.html