(Minghui.org) A Jining City resident was sentenced to a three-year prison sentence for his efforts to help people access uncensored information about the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Mr. Zhang Yu was arrested on July 29, 2017 while distributing software designed to allow people to circumvent the Chinese Internet blockade. He was given criminal detention on August 3 and sent to Jining City Detention Center soon afterwards.
Four officers from Fuqiao Police Station delivered Mr. Zhang’s detention notice to his mother on August 18. They tried unsuccessfully to make her sign the notice. She learned that Miao Shiyan and officer Kong of Jining City Police Department were in charge of her son’s case.
Mr. Zhang appeared in Rencheng District Court on January 11, 2018. Judge Wu Zhihui sentenced him to a three-year prison term at the end of the hearing.
Mr. Zhang’s family was repeatedly denied visits with him, so the family didn’t learn of his appeal until March. They immediately called Hou Hongbo, the local higher court judge assigned to the case.
Judge Hou said he had no plans to hold an open hearing, and that there was no need to hire a lawyer to defend Mr. Zhang.
Hou Hongbo: +86-537-5175507Wu Zhihui: +86-537-6772132Miao Shiyan: +86-18653762072
