(Minghui.org) Mr. Liu Aiguo and Mr. Zhang Lin from Xixia City, Shandong Province, were both sentenced to prison for distributing Falun Gong materials, Mr. Liu to two and a half years and Mr. Zhang to two years. Despite the defense lawyer's strong arguments and the lack of evidence presented by the prosecutor, the court announced the verdicts on April 13, 2018.
Mr. Liu and Mr. Zhang were arrested on September 15, 2017, when they were telling people about the persecution of Falun Gong. They were taken to the Guanshuizhen Police Station and their homes were ransacked. Later they were sent to the Muping District Detention Center. The Muping District Procuratorate indicted both practitioners at the end of December 2017. Their case was handed to the Muping District Court.
They were tried on February 5. Both men defended themselves and stated how they had benefited from Falun Gong. Mr. Liu's lawyer, Liu Lianhe, argued that practicing Falun Gong is not a violation of the law and there was no evidence that putting up Falun Gong materials undermined law enforcement. The prosecutors did not counter the defense arguments.
The verdicts were announced two months later. Both practitioners have appealed their sentences.
