(Minghui.org) Because she sent 11 letters about Falun Gong to government agencies, a Heilongjiang Province woman was recently sentenced to two years and sent to Harbin Women's Prison in late October.
Also known as Falun Dafa, Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Suffering for Her Belief
Ms. Li Ping, 49, was a former executive in charge of medical ethics at the Jiagedaqi Railroad Hospital. Because of excellent performance, she was often recognized as an exemplary employee.
After the persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999, she was severely mistreated for not giving up her belief. She was held in a forced labor camp for one year and then incarcerated and tortured in Harbin Women's Prison in March 2003. Her husband was forced to divorce her and her employer fired her.
Many practitioners around her also suffered tremendously as a result of the persecution policy. Her mother, Ms. Ren Wanjie, was detained three times, including three months in a brainwashing center and in a forced labor camp. After repeated, long-term harassment that included mental and physical abuse, Ms. Ren passed away on January 13, 2015.
Arrested for Mailing 11 Letters
To counter the hate propaganda about Falun Gong and to convince the Party to stop persecuting it, Ms. Li sent 11 letters to government officials prior to the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2017. At the time, she had moved from her hometown in Jiagedaqi City to Harbin City to do odd jobs.
Xiangfang District police officers arrested her in Harbin on October 18, 2017. Her apartment was ransacked, and the personal belongings of a friend were confiscated, including jewelry, cash, and a laptop computer.
Her father, already in his 70s, went to Xiangfang Police Department to try to get her released, but he was locked out of the building and ignored. He managed to find the cell phone number of an officer responsible for her arrest. Only then was he able to get in touch with the Domestic Security Bureau and learn that Ms. Li was being held under criminal detention.
Ms. Li's father hired an attorney for her. Through the attorney, he learned that one of the letters his daughter had mailed was addressed to Wu Gang, deputy director of the Heilongjiang Department of Public Security. Enraged, Wu ordered Guan Yunpeng, head of the Harbin Domestic Security Bureau, and other officials to arrest the practitioners involved. The police located Ms. Li from surveillance camera video and arrested her.
Tried and Sentenced
A trial was held in the Daowai Court on June 5, 2018, and only two family members were allowed in the courtroom. Prosecutor Yuan Dongming first read the indictment, declaring the 11 letters had “sabotaged law enforcement” according to Article 300 of the Criminal Law.
Ms. Li tried to argue that her letters merely explained why the persecution of Falun Gong was illegal and that she hadn't broken any laws, but judge Kong Linghong immediately stopped her from speaking.
Ms. Li's attorney argued that there was no evidence that the 11 letters had harmed the recipients in any way and that, since there were no victims, there were no legal grounds for an investigation, arrest, indictment, or trial.
Judge Kong found Ms. Li guilty not long after the hearing and sentenced her to two years in prison. When Ms. Li appealed the sentence, the higher court ruled to uphold the verdict without a hearing. She was taken to Harbin Women's Prison in late October.
Key Parties Responsible:
Bi Baowen, director, Heilongjiang Province Police Department: +86-451-82696114Yuan Zhaoxiang, Xiangfang Domestic Security Bureau: +86-13604885769Wang Dianbin, Xiangfang Domestic Security Bureau: +86-15104690118Wang Wei, director, Daowai Court: +86-451-87073046
