(Minghui.org) Twelve Falun Gong practitioners from Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, were illegally sentenced to prison and fined on December 14, 2017.
The practitioners sentenced were:Shi Xiangyun: Eight years of imprisonment, fine of 50,000 yuan.Zhu Fengying: Seven and a half years of imprisonment, fine of 40,000 yuan.Zhao Xiru: Seven years of imprisonment, fine of 40,000 yuan.Wei Xuwang: Five and a half years of imprisonment, fine of 40,000 yuan.Jia Yanling: Five years of imprisonment, fine of 30,000 yuan.Bao Yi: Five years of imprisonment, fine of 30,000 yuan.Liu Jun: Five years of imprisonment, fine of 30,000 yuan.Ren Xiuying: Four and a half years of imprisonment, fine of 30,000 yuan.Kong Qingyan: Four years of imprisonment, fine of 30,000 yuan.Wu Xi: Three years of imprisonment, fine of 20,000 yuan.Zhang Shuxia: Three years of imprisonment, fine of 20,000 yuan.Yang Qiji: One and a half years of imprisonment, fine of 20,000 yuan.
Ren Xiuying and Yang Qiji are in their 70s. Several others are in their 60s or 70s, including Shi Xiangyun, Wei Xuwang, Zhu Fengying, Zhao Xiru, Bao Yi, and Liu Jun. Although Yang has been healthy all along, in detention he was diagnosed with high blood pressure, gallstones, and severe diabetes.
Thirteen practitioners were arrested by the Songbei District Police Department in Harbin City on January 18, 2017. They were: Shi, Jia, Bao, Wei, Kong, Zhu, Zhao, Liu, Ren, Yang, Wu, Zhang, and Gong. Shi was taken from her home in a police van at around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.
Four other practitioners were arrested by police from Harbin City, Daowai District, and Daxing Police Department. Plainclothes officers waited outside Jiang's apartment building and took her away as she was leaving the building. Kong was arrested by five officers at home. On the same day, Zhu and Zhao were arrested as they were walking down the street.
The Songbei Procuratorate charged Shi, Zhu, Zhao, and nine other practitioners on July 17. Gong Wenyi was released on medical bail and the Procuratorial Office said it would follow up on the case.
Twelve of the practitioners arrested since January were tried in the Songbei Court on September 22, 2017. Special police were dispatched around the facility and a number of bystanders were removed. Both the prosecutor and the judge largely ignored questions from the practitioners and their lawyers during the trial. The judge also threatened a lawyer and prohibited him from entering not-guilty pleas.
All 12 practitioners said that they were innocent. They also asked that the prosecutor present legal documents indicating which laws they had violated. “No one said that your practicing Falun Gong has violated the law,” said Chief Judge Lv Shibin.
Nonetheless, the verdicts were announced on December 14, and all of the defendants were sent to prison with fines.
Several of these practitioners had been persecuted previously for their belief:Zhu was imprisoned for six years between 2003 and 2009.Zhao was sent to a labor camp for one year in 2001.Liu was sentenced to five years of imprisonment by the Tonghe County Court in 2012.Ren was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the Dadong District Court in Shenyang City in 2013.
Parties responsible:Songbei Police Department: 42 Songbei First Road, Songbei District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province 150028.Zhang Zekun: director of Domestic Security DivisionYu Xiaoguang: contact person for the case. Phone: 15046115776Li and Fang, two officers who processed the case.Police officers: Liu Mingyu, Shi Xiaofeng, Chen Jingfa, and Wang Xiaobao.
Songbei Procuratorate, 2949 Pudong Road, Songbei District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang 150028Phone: 0451-88080095Shan Dandan, procuratorate officerLi Kexin, assistantZhao Xue, clerk
Songbei District Court, 2949 Pudong Road, Songbei District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang 150028Phone: 0451-88107122Lv Shibein, presiding judgeLi Yan and Shao Yufeng, officersFu Jiudan, secretary