(Minghui.org) A 66-year-old Beijing resident in serious condition was made to stand trial for her faith in Falun Gong, an ancient mind-body improvement discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
The judge at Fengtai Court initially ordered Ms. Li Yuhua, who was very weak and had difficulty walking, to stand during the hearing on December 10, 2019. But she began coughing violently within two minutes, and collapsed into a chair.
Ms. Li said her tuberculosis, that had been cured by practicing Falun Gong, recurred following her latest arrest for talking to people about Falun Gong, on May 22, 2019. Her condition worsened after ten days of detention. She was released on bail in June 2019.
The ten officials, including her court-appointed lawyer, five judges, three prosecutors and a court clerk, all appeared to be very nervous during her hearing, perhaps fearing being infected with the tuberculosis.
The presiding judge asked Ms. Li whether she was arrested by officers from Nanyuan Police Station for promoting Falun Gong and whether she had been given two years of forced labor before.
Ms. Li said it was true that she had been detained at a labor camp for two years by the communist regime. The judge didn’t make any further comment.
One prosecutor named Ma Zhikun read the indictment, but he stopped before spelling out the proposed prison term against Ms. Li. He then packed his documents and prepared to leave.
Shang Wei, the court appointed-lawyer, argued that the judges should consider a lighter sentence against her, given her advanced age and low education level.
When Ms. Li read the defense statement prepared by the lawyer she hired, the presiding judge stopped her and said she could leave the statement for them to read at a later time.
The court clerk forced Ms. Li to press her fingerprints on the indictment document, before the presiding judge adjourned the hearing, which only lasted about 20 minutes.
Ms. Li’s condition further deteriorated after she returned home. She is coughing frequently and unable to care for herself.
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