(Minghui.org) When Shapingba District Court in Chongqing put Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Peng Shigui on trial on January 13, 2014, his lawyer entered a non-guilty plea, surprising the judge and prosecutor.

He argued: “It is well within the law to practice Falun Gong in China. Jiang Zemin's slandering of Falun Gong when he was interviewed by Le Figaro in October of 1999 had no legal basis. Falun Gong practitioners have the right to possess and distribute informational materials. Nothing Mr. Peng has done is illegal.”

Mr. Peng also defended himself, saying that it is not wrong to practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He went on to explain that he made the truth-clarifying materials himself to share with his relatives and friends.

The judge and the prosecutor made no rebuttal to the attorney's confident defense and did not deliver a verdict. Court was then adjourned.

Arrested and Beaten

Mr. Peng Shigui is 49. Claiming they needed to "check his residential ID," 10 people from the Shapingba District Police Department and the Jingkou Police Station in the Shapingba District broke into his home at 11 p.m. on September 6, 2013.

They took his desk top computer, portable computer, printer, Falun Gong brochures, and other personal belongings. They took enough of his belongings to easily fill two police cars. When Mr. Peng tried to get away, they beat him mercilessly.

His sister Ms. Peng Shibi, 62, was arrested on January 26, 2013, for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to three years by the Shapingba District Court and is now in Chongqing Woman's Prison.

Parties Responsible:

Yu Bin (虞斌), director, Shapingba District 610 Office: +86-23-63755224
Liu Wei (刘伟), team leader: +86-23-63755335
Chen Jiangyu (陈江渝), director, Shapingba District Police Department: +86-23-63755190, E-mail: spbxjntanɡ20132013@163.com
Huang Li (黄莉, female), judge, Shapingba District Court

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