(Minghui.org) After postponing it twice, Dawa County Court finally tried practitioner Ms. Feng Xiumei on May 7, 2014. But just ten minutes into the trial, the court was adjourned and the trial was postponed again.
Ms. Feng's family, accompanied by their attorney Jiang Tianyong, went to the court on May 6, 2014, requested to visit Ms. Feng in custody, and to read the documents of her legal case. Their request was denied by judge Sun Qian.
Ms. Feng's family, together with their attorneys, Zhang Keke and Jiang Tianyong, arrived at the Dawa County Court at 9:30 a.m. on May 7, 2014, where they saw several police vehicles and an emergency ambulance. The court was also packed with police.
The court officials demanded to search attorney Zhang Keke's briefcase at the entrance. Attorney Zhang refused and reminded them that the law exempts attorneys belongings from being searched, so the court authorities did not allow him in.
A Woman of Questionable Intentions
A woman with long hair wearing dark-framed glasses appeared at the scene and started chatting with Ms. Feng Xiumei's mother after other family members ignored her.
The woman then began talking to attorney Zhang Keke. When Ms. Feng's daughter questioned her intention, she said she was about to divorce and wanted to talk to a potential attorney. She stared at attorney Zhang's cell phone, seemed to be concerned whether he had a micro blog account and used a micro-channel phone app, and asked what specific law exempted attorneys from being searched.
While attorney Zhang and the court authorities argued about the searching of attorneys' belongings, the woman's behavior just made the situation worse.
Trial Lasts Ten Minutes
At 9:30 a.m., attorney Zhang was still denied entry to the courtroom. A senior court police officer in his 50's who seemed to be very angry came over to attorney Zhang. He began shoving Mr. Zhang and threatening him that he would forfeit his attorney's rights and not be allowed to participate in the trial.
Attorney Zhang then took out the documents he needed from his briefcase and entered the courtroom. He left his briefcase with Ms. Feng's mother who was denied admission because she did not have her ID card with her.
As the trial started, Ms. Feng was led into the courtroom by several police officers who held up her shaking body. She looked thin and pale, and all her hair had turned white. She developed heart disease from poor conditions in detention. She could not stand up or walk on her own. Her voice was very weak and barely audible.
Ms. Feng's condition shocked everyone in the courtroom, including the government officials, local police, and the local neighborhood committee members. After more than eight months of detention, Ms. Feng's life was in danger and she was on the verge of death.
At the beginning of the trial, attorney Zhang Keke noticed there were unidentified officials on the prosecution team who were not listed in the official indictment and requested these personnel leave the courtroom before proceeding with the trial. The court was adjourned for ten minutes, after which the court declared the trial would be postponed yet again. At the same time, the case was sent back to the Procuratorate. Ms. Feng was rushed out of the courtroom by several police officers.
As everyone in the defense team exited the courtroom, Ms. Feng's mother told them what happened. The woman wearing dark-framed glasses, the senior police officer, and two other junior officers led her to a room and told her to rest there. They used all kinds of excuses to persuade Ms. Feng's mother to allow them to search attorney Zhang's briefcase. When she refused, they tried to take it away by force. She managed to regain the briefcase immediately after they took it. Seeing they could not succeed, they forced Ms. Feng's mother out of the room.
Previous report: Ms. Feng Xiumei Held for Three Months; Family Members and Lawyer Followed by Agents
