(Clearwisdom.net) On May 19, 2009, six Falun Dafa practitioners from Lujiang City, including Wei Fengming, Luo Shuishen, Gui Dalu, Song Degui, Wu Derong and Wu Xianzhen, were tried during an illegal court proceeding. Six lawyers from Beijing, including Lu Subin, Liu Wei, Tang Jitian, Wen Haibo, Li Jinglin and Dong Qian, defended the practitioners and pleaded not guilty on their behalves. At the trial, the Luzhou City 610 Office and officials from the Hejiang Court refused to allow the lawyers to be present in court or to allow people to listen to the court proceedings, and they tried to prevent lawyers from defending the practitioners. They also refused to accept the not-guilty plea.

Illegal Search of Those Witnessing the Proceedings

As the lawyers were going to plead not guilty on behalf of the practitioners, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials were in a panic. Staff from the Luzhou City 610 Office and Hejiang Court made detailed arrangements to search people and block them from entering the courthouse. Early in the morning, practitioners, family members and friends from different places were stopped on their way to Hejiang.

The 610 Office set up checkpoints, where they stopped and searched all non-commercial vehicles driving to Hejiang. Some people said that their vehicles were stopped at Fuyin Town in Hejiang City, and two people in black got into their vehicle without producing a search warrant or other legal documents. They were about to search the luggage, and demanded to know where the passengers were going and their intent. The passengers were very upset and challenged them, "What are you doing?" They replied, "We are following orders." They claimed that they were searching for drugs, but they focused mainly on elderly women.

After another car was stopped, and officers found a Falun Gong appeals letter. They demanded that the lady get out of the vehicle, and were about to confiscate the appeal letter. The lady told them in a very upright manner, "This appeal letter is what I'm going to submit. You can't confiscate it." However this officer insisted that she return home. The officer was Wang Jizhong from the Hejiang Domestic Security Brigade, who actively persecutes practitioners.

Practitioner Ms. Wu Xianzhen's husband, along with their friends and family drove to Hejiang from Naxi to be at her trial. As soon as they arrived, they were stopped by court officers. Ms. Wu's husband and the passengers told them that they were violating their citizens' rights. They argued with the officers for over an hour, but it was in vain. They were followed even when they used the restroom. Finally, they had to return to Naxi.

When the bus with the lawyers arrived at the south side of Yangzi River Bridge, plainclothes officers boarded the bus and said that they would search the bus. The lawyers said, "What is your reason for checking our bus? For you to check our bus arbitrarily is against the law." They answered, "Their supervisors told them to do it." Then, the passengers on the bus were yelling, "We are family members of those who are to trial." Finally, after much hassle, the bus went on its way.

On High Alert, Claiming Terrorism

Roads in Hejiang were blocked and only police vehicles could get through. Buses had to make detours, and plainclothes officers were seen everywhere. They were holding cameras and taking pictures non-stop. Regular and military police were everywhere, including groups of officers wearing red armbands. Police vehicles were everywhere and there were people in jeeps without license plates giving orders. Anything near the court was guarded by officers. There were also people videotaping and taking pictures near the courthouse. Local Hejiang officers didn't know what was going on in the beginning, and they finally found out later that there was a trial of Falun Gong practitioners.

Plotting to Keep the Lawyers Out

Hejiang Court officials carried out security checks on the lawyers. The lawyers produced documents from the Justice Department that stated that lawyers of defendants were exempt from security checks. The court officials said, "This is our rule. We carry out security checks. We can only follow our rules."

When people asked why they were not allowed to attend a public trial, the court staff lied and said, "The courtroom is not large enough to hold anyone else." People asked, "Don't you have a hall?" They said, "It leaks when it rains." It was reported that only one family member was allowed into the courtroom.

There were over a hundred people gathered outside the court room, including the lawyers, practitioners, family members, relatives, friends of the defendants and others. On the ground and second floor, right across from the entrance, there were video cameras taping the people. In addition, plainclothes officers and police were everywhere either videotaping or taking pictures.

Despite harassment by the 610 Office, practitioners talked to the locals about the persecution and how the police didn't even allow defense lawyers into the courtroom. Lin Min, the head of the 610 Office, was hiding on the second floor during the proceedings.

Appealing for Justice Outside the Courthouse

A family member of one of the defendants told others that her parents, because they practice Falun Gong, had suffered under the persecution for ten years. In fact, they were sentenced to prison terms several times. At the forced labor camp, they suffered torture and were on the verge of death. They were deprived of sleep, not allowed to use the restroom, beaten, forced to perform hard labor, and humiliated. She could count the number of days on her fingers when she saw her parents during these ten years. Before the Beijing Olympics, people from the 610 Office dispatched military police to monitor her home. They were looking for reasons to arrest them. Her parents couldn't leave the house, even to buy food. She said, "Today, my parents are being brought to trial. I'm their only daughter, but I am not allowed into the courtroom. Falun Gong has been persecuted for ten years, and finally, today, there were lawyers stepping forward to speak up for my parents. But even they were not allowed into the courtroom to defend their clients."

The 610 Office gathered staff and police from all over the district and county to guard the entrance and stop locals or others from entering the courtroom. They also had officials and community leaders from other areas come and take practitioners back to their areas.

The team leader of the Domestic Security Brigade in Hejiang County, also head of the 610 Office Gong Hechuan, is the person responsible for persecuting these six practitioners. Practitioners have written letters and mailed information exposing the persecution to him. They tried to bring out his kind nature and conscience, but so far it has been in vain.