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Attempts to Appeal Ms. Dai Meilan's Case in Luohu Court Thwarted by Court Officials

Feb. 26, 2012 |   By a Clearwisdom correspondent from Guangdong Province, China

Name: Dai Meilan (戴美兰)
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown
Address: Changpai Village, Shenzhen City
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 20, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Luohu Detention Center (罗湖看守所)
City: Shenzhen
Province: Guangdong
Persecution Suffered: Home ransacked, detention, illegal sentencing

(Clearwisdom.net) Police officers from Luohu District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, arrested Ms. Dai Meilan on May 20, 2011. Less than three months after the arrest, Luohu Court sentenced her to a three-year prison term. Ms. Dai has attempted to appeal to the court repeatedly over five months, but her dossier is still being passed around by three courts.

When Ms. Dai was arrested, her family went to the public security bureau in Luohu District to file a complaint. The clerk, without any show of feelings, said, “We are not in charge of these kinds of matters. Go to the appeals office.” At the appeals office a clerk said, “We never take charge of Falun Gong-related cases.” After Ms. Dai was sentenced, the public security bureau told her family to go to the court to appeal. The court clerk said, “Appeals can be made only within ten days of the judgment. After 10 days, they cannot be filed. Nevertheless, some police officers told them, “Falun Gong is not a criminal matter. Appeals can be made at any time.”

Mysterious Official Refuses to Meet with Family

On February 2, 2012, Ms. Dai's family took a long ride to Dongxiao Police Station and asked the police to give them a letter of permission to see Ms. Dai. The clerk said there was a person named Zhang who had the authority to handle Falun Gong-related matters. Ms. Dai's family asked to meet with him. The clerk called Zhang and Ms. Dai's family spoke with him on the phone. Zhang told them that as long as they could obtain a copy of the verdict from Luohu Court, they could see her wherever they wanted. Ms. Dai's family asked, “Why isn't your name on the police record?” Zhang said, “I don't work for the police department.” They asked if he was from the 610 Office. He said no. He said his job was to supervise the police station. Ms. Dai's family insisted on meeting with him. Zhang said he was too busy and didn't have time to see them. Every time Ms. Dai's family went to the police station, the clerk always said Zhang was out. They asked for Zhang's cell phone number and the clerk refused to give it to them. Zhang was unwilling to show his face.

The Detention Center of Luohu asked Ms. Dai's family to go to Luohu Court to pick up the verdict in order for them to see Ms. Dai.

Court Officials Give Family the Run-around

At about 3:00 p.m., Ms. Dai's family went to the Luohu Court. They found some information about Ms. Dai's case, including her arrest on May 24, 2011; her first hearing was on August 4 at about 10:00 a.m.; the hearing was closed at 10:35 a.m.; the status of the case was under investigation; judge in charge was Peng Zhengrong (deputy judge-in-chief), and the assistant judge was Li Hongya.

When Ms. Dai's family arrived at the court, the police officer who was on duty told them that the judges Peng and Li had just left. Her family asked for their phone numbers and the police officer called Peng and Li. He spoke with them and said that the judges asked him to tell Ms. Dai's family to come back the next morning at 9:30 a.m. The next morning, Ms. Dai's family went to the court to ask for the verdict. The court clerk told them that the case had recently been transferred to Futian Court and directed the family to go there.

Ms. Dai's family went to Futian Court. A clerk there said that Ms. Dai's file had not been transferred to them. He advised them that Luohu Court and Futien Court were both under the People's Intermediate Court. Ms. Dai's information was not found in the Futian Court advisory database. The family felt that judges Peng and Li were lying to them. They called Li Hongya. Li said, “It is quite busy now during the New Year celebrations. Call back in ten days.”

Her family phoned the Court of Shenzhen. A clerk said, “We don't have the file. You should go to Luohu Court.”

Ms Dai has tried to appeal for five months, but the so-called dossier is still being passed around three courts.

The Minghui website has reported that before Ms. Dai took up the practice of Falun Gong, she was seriously ill. Her husband was laid off and her livelihood was jeopardized. During the New Year, she didn't have money to buy food and her two children were seriously ill. However, during their most trying time, the government did not offer them any help or support. Later, after Ms. Dai started the practice of Falun Gong, she became very healthy and their entire family situation improved. The communist authorities started to persecute them just when things were finally going well for them.

Luohu Court:
Peng Zhengrong: +86-755-25038378 (Office)
Li Hongya: +86-755-25038078 (Office)
Liu Xiaoan, judge-in-chief: +86-755-25038071
Wan Yanqun: +86-755-25038230

Related article:
http://clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2012/1/30/131048.html