(Minghui.org) At the second trial of three Falun Gong practitioners on November 18, 2014, their lawyers were surprised to be led into a tiny room unfit for trial. There was only one chair placed for the six lawyers and eight chairs in the attendants' section.
Upon the lawyers' request, court staff moved a small table and five chairs from another room. The lawyers were crammed next to each other, and because their laptops took up all the room on the small table, their files were placed on the floor.
The three practitioners, Mr. Yu Ming (于溟), Ms. Li Dongxu (李东旭) and Ms. Gao Jingqun (高敬群) were detained in Shenyang Detention Center following their arrest in August 2013.
Two people from each practitioner's family were there to observe the trial. When judge Jiao Yuling (焦玉玲) arrived, she ordered the bailiffs to remove all six of them and claimed that only one person from each family would be allowed to attend.
Mr. Yu Ming's brother was very upset. He questioned the judge: “I had applied for a bigger courtroom before the trial, but no one ever responded to my application. When I called you yesterday, you told me that we could have two people from each family at the trial.” He protested and demanded the judge to provide an explanation for the unexpected change.
“I will revoke your qualification to attend the trial if you continue,” Judge Jiao replied.
The Practitioners' Arrival
Outside the heavily guarded Shenhe District Court, many of the practitioners' family members and friends were anxiously awaiting their arrival.
Mr. Yu Ming's 67-year-old mother held a banner saying “Release My Son,” which was forcibly taken away by the police. She tried to plead her case, but was threatened with arrest.
The police chained Mr. Yu with another inmate. The other two practitioners, Ms. Li and Ms. Gao, were handcuffed together.
Mr. Yu Ming as he entered the courtroom, waved to the crowd outside the gate.
Ms. Li Dongxu and Ms. Gao Jingqun
Trial Turns into a Drama
After all three practitioners were brought into the courtroom, Mr. Yu Ming's lawyers Wang Quanzhang and Chen Jiangang demanded to have him change glasses since his old pair was broken.
“Our client wouldn't be able to read the files with broken glasses when cross-examining the evidence.” the lawyers said.
Presiding judge Jiao Yuling denied their request and announced the beginning of the trial.
Mr. Yu lodged a protest about the judge changing the number of trial attendees and her ignoring his brother's request for a bigger courtroom.
“The request is unreasonable, so it was rejected,” Judge Jiao said. She then ordered the bailiffs to take all three practitioners out of the courtroom.
“Now none of our clients are here, how do you want to proceed with the trial?” lawyer Chen asked her.
Jiao ignored him and left the judge's seat to talk to members of the collegial panel. She returned shortly thereafter and again rejected the request for a bigger room or more attendees. She adjourned the trial and announced that the next trial would be held three days later, on November 21.
Despite the lawyers' objections, judge Jiao left the courtroom without another word.
Mr. Yu's brother caught up with her to seek confirmation about the next trial date: “Will we have the trial here on Friday?” Jiao didn't respond and walked away.
Before prosecutor Zhang Chenyu (张晨宇) left, lawyer Dong Qianyong reasoned with him about indicting the practitioners despite a lack of evidence. Zhang did not respond and hurried away.
On the second day of the November 18 trial, the six lawyers filed a joint complaint to the Supreme Court about judge Jiao Yuling's violation of protocol on the trial proceedings.
In the complaint, they also requested another date for the third trial. The court later canceled the November 21 trial and told the lawyers to wait to be notified of the new trial date.
Interrogation and Fabricated Evidence
In their complaint, the lawyers also pointed out that the police interrogated and tortured all three practitioners to obtain false evidence.
During an interrogation, the police said to Ms. Gao Jingqun: “Your husband had sought help from us. He wants to have you come back home right away. If you want to go home, you have to admit that you saved Falun Gong-related content in Yu Ming's cellphone.”
When Ms. Gao refused their demand, the police repeatedly struck her in the face and hit her chest with a bottle of water.
“I could hardly breathe. It was extremely painful,” Ms. Gao recalled.
Unable to bear the torture, she signed the paper that the police had prepared. The police also ordered her to sign on several pieces of blank paper.
As a part of their interrogation, the police deprived Ms. Li Dongxu of sleep, stripped off her clothes and threatened to shock her genital area with electric batons. Traumatized by the torture, Ms. Li also signed on the fabricated evidence prepared by the police.
With signatures from both Ms. Gao and Ms. Li, the police turned to Mr. Yu. Between November 8 and 9, 2013, he was interrogated for more than 30 hours straight inside a special interrogation room in Shenyang Detention Center.
Staff from the Shenyang Domestic Security pricked his fingernails with a pin and hit his chest with bottles filled with water.
The torture and beating continued deep into the night. Mr. Yu's heart started to fail. His blood pressure was 190 and his heartbeat was at more than 150 beats per minute.
Seeing that he still refused to comply with them, police officers Zhao Chen (赵晨) and Wang Wensheng (王文胜) showed him the torture photos of Ms. Li and Ms. Gao. They threatened him, telling him that if he didn't sign on the interrogation record, they would continue to torture them.
Not wanting to see the two practitioners suffer any further torture, Mr. Yu wrote down whatever Wang Wensheng told him and signed his name.
After realizing his mistake of complying with the police, Mr. Yu later declared his signatures null and void.
Previous reports:Woman in San Francisco Urgently Calls for Husband's Release in ChinaClothing Factory Owner Tortured and Likely Facing Trial; Denied Attorney Visit Eight TimesLaw Abiding Businessman and Philanthropist Arrested for the Fourth Time
Perpetrators' contact information:
Shenhe District Court Address: 7 Chengde Lu, Shenyang, Liaoning 110011Phone: +86-24-84119701Li Yajun (李雅君), court president: +86-24-84119988, +86-13804210666Yu Miao (于淼), court's vice president: +86-24-84119996, +86-138405993337Li Wantao (李万涛), court's vice presidentLi Hong (李红), judgeJiao Yuling (焦玉玲), presiding judge of the case: +86-24-84119981
Related article in Chinese language:http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2014/11/20/开庭成闹剧-律师举报沈阳法官执法违法（图）-300514.html
