(Minghui.org) A Liaoning woman faces a three to five-year prison term simply for shouting “Falun Dafa is good!” in a police station. She had gone to the police station seeking the release of her husband, who was arrested last December for his belief in Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa).
The Ganjinzi District Court tried Ms. Liu Zuona on the morning of July 24. Family members were permitted entrance with ID verification, while friends or supporters of Ms. Liu were turned away. Ms. Liu was in handcuffs and shackles when the trial started at 10:30 a.m., forcing her to remain standing until half an hour later, when Judge Lu Mingli finally had the police remove her handcuffs.
The prosecutor claimed that Ms. Liu “used a heretical organization to undermine the implementation of law” by shouting “Falun Dafa is good!” in the police station. The attorney hired by Ms. Liu's family pleaded not-guilty for her. The attorney pointed out that there is no law in China prohibiting practicing Falun Gong, so none of the “evidence” provided by the prosecutor was valid.
The judge and prosecutor repeatedly interrupted the defense attorney as he made his argument. At the end of the trial, the prosecutor suggested a sentence of 3-5 years in prison. The show trial lasted less than 90 minutes before it adjourned with no conclusion.
During the trial, Ms. Liu testified that she was not guilty of any crime for following the principles of Falun Gong, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, to be a better person. She also told the judge that the police refused to disclose the whereabouts of her husband, but arrested her simply for shouting “Falun Dafa is good!” in an empty hallway.
Ms. Liu's attorney stated in the court that it would be ridiculous to sentence someone to 3-5 years in prison simply for shouting “Falun Dafa is good!”
Both Liu Zuona and her husband Jin Xinnian are Falun Gong practitioners. Back in 2006, Mr. Jin survived a car accident, only to be arrested shortly afterwards when the investigating traffic police officers found out that he was a practitioner. Most recently, he was taken away from work on December 26, 2013, again for his belief in Falun Gong. The police never informed Mr. Jin's family about his whereabouts.
On February 28, 2014, Ms. Liu and her daughter, as well as a friend surnamed Li, went to the Qianguan Police Station to inquire after her husband's whereabouts and to seek his release. When the police refused to talk to them, Ms. Liu shouted “Falun Dafa is good!” in the empty hall. They were immediately arrested by the police.
Ms. Liu is still being held at Yaojia Detention Center, while her daughter and friend remain incarcerated in a drug rehabilitation center.
Parties involved in the persecution:
Liu Weimu (刘维木), deputy secretary of the Chinese Community Party in Ganjizi district, Dalian City, 86-41186651635(Office)，86-13700097332(Cell)Pan Zhiqing (潘志庆), director of the Dalianwan Police Station, 86-411-87600246 (office)Liu Zuochen (刘作臣), director of the Zhonghualu Police Station, 86-13942633450(Cell)，86-15541199311(Cell), 86-41186508299 (office)The 610 office of Ganjinzi district, Dalian city