(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Song Bingfu and his wife, Ms. Zhang Ping, of Inner Mongolia were tried in the Horqin District Court of Tongliao City on March 28, 2014. The Shen Yun performance DVD they had distributed, which was presented as evidence, was played back during the trial, leaving the judge and the public prosecutor speechless. The attorney argued that the couple was not guilty of the trumped-up charge of “sabotaging law enforcement using a cult organization” and were innocent and should be released.
As evidence, the public prosecutor presented a DVD of the Shen Yun performance, software to overcome the Internet blockade, and a paper fan with a message about Falun Gong. Mr. Song's attorney pointed out that the defendant had the DVD in his car and that possessing the DVD is not a crime; the Constitution grants freedom of belief, so practicing Falun Gong is legal; and Article 35 of the Constitution states: “Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession, and of demonstration,” so making and distributing Falun Gong promotional materials is also legal.
The attorney asked the judge whether the “evidence” had been proven to be evidence of a crime. The judge answered “No.” The attorney then asked that the DVD be played in the courtroom. Afterward, the attorney argued, “The show is simply music and dance. How could it be evidence of a crime?” It was silent in the courtroom. The judge and public prosecutor were speechless. The attorney added, “As for software to overcome the Internet blockade, it is simply a tool for people to find out information in other countries. We attorneys often use such tools to browse the Internet.”
The public prosecutor had no reply. He asked the attorney, “Who sent you here? How can you argue for Falun Gong?” The attorney replied, “The Constitution doesn't forbid Falun Gong practitioners from hiring attorneys. I'm a human rights attorney. Anyone can hire me to defend them, including Falun Gong practitioners.”
Ms. Zhang was arrested by local police when she was distributing Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs on August 22, 2013. Domestic Security Division officers in Tongliao broke into her home on the afternoon of January 24, 2014, and took her husband, Mr. Song, to Hexi Detention Center. Paperwork was made up later to officially arrest them.
Mr. Song and Ms. Zhang have a 12-year-old daughter, and Mr. Song's mother is 86. Mr. Song is an only child. The couple's relatives and neighbors worry his mother wouldn't be able to stand the sad news and didn't tell her about her son's arrest.
