(Minghui.org) Domestic security police, local police, and neighborhood association officials in Maoming City, lead by local 610 Office agents, arrested four Falun Gong practitioners between July and September, 2017: Mr. Liang Yuansheng, Mr. Zhu Shixiong, Ms. Chen Le’an, and Ms. Cao Yunyi. It was recently learned that they have all been sentenced to prison.
Mr. Liang Yuansheng sentenced to 21 months
Mr. Liang was arrested by agents from the 610 Office and police from Maoming City on September 19, 2017. He was tried on May 29, 2018, and sentenced on July 23 to one year and nine months in prison. His family plans to hire an attorney to appeal to a higher court.
Ms. Cao Junyi sentenced to two years in prison
Ms. Cao was reported for tearing down posters on a wall that smeared Falun Gong. The police arrested her. She was tried by the Maonan District Court in Maoming City on January 11, 2018. During the trial, her two lawyers were interrupted four times while making defense arguments. They protested, “Why hold the trial in court if you don't follow the law?” The trial continued.
The judge sentenced Ms. Cao to two years in prison and fined her 3,000 yuan on January 16, 2018. She appealed to the Maoming Intermediate Court, which upheld the lower court's sentence. She was taken to Guangdong Women's Prison on July 18, 2018.
Her family hired a lawyer to continue filing appeals for her. The judge in the Maoming Intermediate Court ordered clerks not to allow the lawyer to read the files. The lawyer complained to the Maoming Procuratorate, who told the lawyer to report the case to the Maoming City Attorney's Association.
The head of the association received the lawyer and heard his complaints. He said that he would discuss the matter with the appellate court.
The lawyer told the family on July 26, 2018, that he had managed to see Ms. Cao in prison, but she refused to sign the document of complaints.
Mr. Zhu Shixiong was sentenced
Mr. Zhu works as a home appliance repair technician in Maoming City. His friend, another Falun Gong practitioner, had been arrested. He accompanied his friend's family to the police station to seek his release on September 20, 2017. When he returned to his shop, he was arrested by over 10 officers who had been waiting for him.
He was tried on January 11, 2018, by the Maonan District Court. When the two lawyers defending him made their arguments, the judge listened attentively without interrupting.
Nevertheless, Mr. Zhu was sentenced in February to 18 months and fined 2,000 yuan. He appealed to the Maoming Intermediate Court.
His family hired lawyers from Beijing to represent him. They contacted the intermediate court judge who was in charge of Mr. Zhu's case, submitted written arguments to the court, and called the court several times to inquire about the case.
The family got a phone call from the intermediate court around July 11, 2018. The court notified the family that the license of one of the lawyers had been rescinded and that he could no longer represent Mr. Zhu. The intermediate court upheld the lower court's sentence about two weeks later.
Ms. Chen Le’an, 74, taken to prison
Ms. Chen was also arrested in October 2017 and released later on the same day. She was taken into custody again in 2018 and sentenced to two years in prison and fined 3,000 yuan. She was recently taken to Guangdong Province Women's Prison.
