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Defendants Sentenced on False Charges

April 10, 2018 | By a Minghui correspondent in Guangdong Province, China

(Minghui.org) Ms. Yu Mei, 51, and Ms. Su Guiying, 59, from Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, were each illegally sentenced to four years in prison in the Chikan District Court in Zhanjiang City on December 12, 2017. They have appealed to Zhanjiang City Intermediate Court.

Ms. Yu suffered from many health problems in the past. After she started to practice Falun Gong, her health was restored, and she was no longer a burden to the family. More importantly, she followed the principles of Falun Gong to be a good person and experienced great benefits in both mind and body.

However, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Gong in 1999, Ms. Yu was arrested by the local 610 Office three times and endured severe mistreatment. Her husband was terrified by the persecution and died prematurely on July 14, 2006. Ms. Yu filed a criminal complaint to the Supreme Court and Supreme Procuratorate on July 7, 2015, against former dictator Jiang Zemin for ordering the persecution of Falun Gong.

Arrested, Prosecuted on False Charges

Ms. Yu and Ms. Su were arrested by officers from Zhonghua Police Station while handing out truth-clarification flyers on August 31, 2016. They were detained at Mazhang District No. 1 Detention Center in Zhanjiang City.

The police unsuccessfully tried to ransack Ms. Yu’s home late that night. Ms. Yu’s daughter was terrorized by the officers who attempted to break down her door.

Huang Zuhua, chief of the Chikan District 610 Office; plainclothes police; and several female assistants from the neighborhood committee later forced their way into Ms. Yu’s home. They took a personal computer, photos, Falun Gong books, cards, and some undisclosed photos.

They also attempted to force Ms. Yu’s daughter into signing paperwork, but she refused to cooperate, so the police called Ms. Yu’s employer to get a signature.

The Chikan District Police Department issued an arrest warrant on September 30, 2016, falsely charging Ms. Yu with “destroying public telecommunications equipment.”

The women's families hired attorneys to defend them. It was over a month after they were arrested and detained when their attorneys finally met the two seniors on October 8, 2016.

The Chikan District Police Department filed charges against the defendants with the Chikan District Procuratorate on December 9, 2016. However, the cases were returned to the police department by the Procuratorate due to a lack of evidence. The police department refiled the charges on April 21, 2017, but they were returned again.

Ms. Yu’s family hired an attorney from Beijing to defend her on May 11, 2017. The attorney and Ms. Yu’s family visited the Zhanjiang City Procuratorate to review her case and about the status of the police department's filing against Ms. Yu.

When they found out the case had been returned to the police department, they asked why the procuratorate did not notify the police department to release Ms. Yu since there was insufficient evidence. The official replied that they were not in charge of the case and that Huang Juqun was overseeing the matter.

The attorney called Huang to inquire about Ms. Yu's case. Huang asked the attorney to meet upstairs in her office. However, Huang was not in the office when the family and attorney arrived. They were told she had gone to the detention center on a business matter.

The attorney and Ms. Yu’s family then went to the detention center and waited five hours for permission to meet with Ms. Yu.

Illegally Tried, Sentenced

Ms. Yu and Ms. Su were tried in the Chikan District Court on August 16, 2017. There were many uniformed police and plainclothes officers outside the courthouse, and local community office personnel were sent to identify the visitors who arrived to attend the trial.

Both IDs and an audit permit were required to be admitted, but after the visitors registered, they were told that all the permits had already been issued. This is one of the ways the authorities prevent people from being present at trials. Plainclothes officers were sent to fill up the seats in the courtroom instead.

The attorney had to negotiate to get the court to agree to allow Ms. Yu’s daughter to be seated in the courtroom.

Ms. Yu and Ms. Su pleaded not guilty. Their attorney defended them, arguing that having a faith is not a crime according to the Chinese Constitution. The trial was adjourned without a verdict. Their sentences were announced four months later.