(Minghui.org) Ms. Ma Zaizhen is a retired teacher from Liupangshui City No.1 Middle School in Guizhou Province. She is nearly 80 years old. She was tried at the Shuicheng County Court on February 6, 2018, for refusing to give up her belief in Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999.
The presiding judge was Li Jianxun, and the court secretary was Zhu Zhongling. Two jurors were also present, as well as two prosecutors and a lawyer.
Ms. Ma sat in the defendant’s seat looking very peaceful and calm. When the judge asked Ms. Ma for testimony, she said, “I don't want this lawyer to defend me, I will defend myself. I do not want this lawyer because I did not hire him.”
The prosecutor laid out the fabricated charges against Ms. Ma. When she was halfway through, the prosecutor asked Ms. Ma if she would acknowledge her crime. Ms. Ma replied, “I did not commit any crime. I encouraged people to be kind and good people by following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
The judge slammed his hand on the table and said, “She doesn't want to admit she had committed the crime--handcuff her.” When a bailiff handcuffed her, she remained very calm with no trace of fear.
When the prosecutor finished reading the charges against her, the judge once again asked Ms. Ma to acknowledge her “crimes.” She refused. The judge shouted, “Stand up!”
When Ms. Ma asked why, the judge said, “We'll get the debate started. You can go first, but you are not allowed to talk about Falun Gong.”
Ms. Ma said, “Just because I talked to people about Falun Gong, I am being treated like a criminal. Now you won't allow me to talk about Falun Gong. In order to defend myself, I have to talk about Falun Gong. In Article No. 35 of Chapter 3 of the Criminal Law, it stipulates that during a court trial, the rights of the defendant are safeguarded. The defendant has the right to defend himself. When you refuse to allow me to speak about Falun Gong, you are violating the Constitution.”
The judge said, “Ok, I will allow you to say something, but it has to be very simple.”
Ms. Ma said, “I used to have many illnesses. For example, because I had bone hyperplasia in my knee joints, I couldn't bend my legs, so I lost the ability to walk. My medical expenses were more than 30,000 yuan each month. When I heard people saying that Falun Gong helped them keep fit, I gave it a try. Just two weeks after I started practicing, all my illnesses disappeared!”
As soon as she said this, the judge stopped her from continuing. Ms. Ma asked,“What if I talk about the law?” The judge agreed.
Ms. Ma said,“Article No. 36 in the Constitution stipulates that an ordinary citizen has the freedom of religious belief. No government agencies, social groups or individuals can force a citizen to believe in any kind of religion. Nor can they discriminate against a citizen for believing in any religion. Therefore, my belief in Falun Gong is protected by the Constitution.
“It also says in Article No. 35 that a citizen has the right to free speech, the right of assembly, to publish information, to form teams, and to hold parades and demonstrations. My right to produce materials, flyers, and books is also protected under the Constitution.”
The judge slammed his hand on the table again. He stopped Ms. Ma again and announced that the discussion was over.
The judge turned to the attorney who had been appointed by the court. The attorney suggested giving Ms. Ma a sentence of between one year and six months to two years and six months. The judge sentenced Ms. Ma to two years.
After he announced her sentence, he tried to make Ms. Ma sign the document. She said, “I will not acknowledge this court's decisions. Chinese Criminal Law has clearly stipulated four key elements which constitute a crime. The criteria for a crime were not met, I did not commit any crimes. You are trying to force me to sign the document.”
Just as she was about to grab her purse and leave, the police grabbed her. They took her to the county hospital for a medical exam. It showed that her blood pressure was very high and that she had gallstones.
Afterward, she was taken to a detention center. When they looked at her exam results, the detention center staff refused to admit her. They also said that they were worried about her age.
Ms. Ma was able to return home.
