(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Guo Wuhai, a Falun Gong practitioner from the Dongxihu District of Wuhan, was illegally arrested by agents of the local 610 Office six months ago. Recently, the court, which is controlled by the 610 Office, sentenced him to three and a half years in prison after charging him with "using the Internet."

Family members not allowed to attend the hearing

On Friday, September 3, 2010, Wuhan Dongxihu District Court tried Mr. Guo. That day the area surrounding the courthouse was heavily guarded by the police. Cao Bin, head of the Dongxihu 610 Office, ordered all community and neighborhood organizations to prevent Falun Gong practitioners from attending the hearing.

The court security forces and 610 Office officials berated anyone that tried to go near the courthouse.

When Guo Wuhai's brother, Guo Wusheng, and his wife went to the entrance of the courthouse, they were told that there were not enough seats in the courtroom and that they were not allowed to enter. When Guo Wuhai's elderly parents arrived, the head of the court told them to stay in a room on the first floor. He told them that there was a screen in that room and they could see their son's trial on the screen. The elderly couple stayed there the whole morning but never saw their son, even after the hearing was over.

The lawyer's defense was that the right to freedom of belief is protected by China's constitution and that Guo Wuhai had not committed any crime by producing or downloading brochures that were related to his beliefs.

There weren't any other people at the hearing. The room was empty, even though the 610 Office officials told people that there were not enough seats. In addition, the 610 Office agents and court officials asked how Guo's lawyer was hired, who had paid the lawyer, and how much he charged for his services.

How Guo Wuhai was apprehended

At around 9 p.m. on March 4, 2010, several cars quietly parked near #11 Zhikang Village where the Wuhan Dongxihu District Xinandu Street Committee was located. Approximately 20 people surrounded the house. Two entered through the balcony on the second floor while others broke into the house. Several doors and windows were broken during the event.

These people claimed that they were "from the city or the community," when in reality they were mainly from public security and Internet surveillance. According to eyewitnesses, Yang Zhi, Dai Chijun, and Dai Duihua from the Xinandu Police Station; Li Wangti from the community office; Peng Qinxue, deputy secretary of the CCP political and law office in the Xinandu Street community; and Hong Tao, vice director of the Xinandu Street community office, were some of the officials who participated in the abduction.

Their targets were Guo Wusheng and his brother Guo Wuhai. Guo Wusheng and his wife were living on the second floor. The police confiscated a desktop computer, a laptop, a printer, and Dafa materials. The warrant they displayed only had one seal. It did not have a signature from the director nor was it dated.

The practitioners were taken to the Xinandu police station at around 10 p.m. The head, Dai Chijun, and police officer Yang Zhi were in charge of documenting the arrests.

At around 2 p.m. on March 5, Guo Wusheng went home with his wife. Guo Wuhai was taken to the Jinghe Detention Center.

The appeal letter, prepared by the Procuratorate, stated: "Guo Wuhai bought a computer, installed wide band telecommunication service, and read and printed information related to his beliefs [from the Internet.] All these activities violate the law."