(Minghui.org) Two Falun Gong practitioners in Lu County, Sichuan Province, were sentenced to prison for their faith. Both of them had their appeals rejected on May 11, 2021. Mr. Wang Xianshu has been taken to the Jiazhou Prison despite his medical condition. Ms. Yi Qunren is still held at the Luzhou City Detention Center. Both are denied family visits.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Wang and Ms. Yi were arrested on April 30, 2020, for attending a gathering with a few other practitioners. They were tried by the Lu County Court on September 1 and sentenced to four years with a 10,000 yuan fine each on December 21.
A few months after they filed the appeals on December 28, the Lu County Intermediate Court demanded their lawyers submit their defense statements, as the judge assigned to the case, Cheng Dengpeng, wasn’t planning to hold a hearing of their appeal case.
In the defense statement submitted on April 26, 2021, the lawyers urged judge Cheng to follow his conscience and uphold justice for their clients.
Two weeks later, on May 11, judge Cheng announced to uphold both practitioners’ original verdicts.
While Mr. Wang’s lawyer visited him before submitting the defense statement, he learned that Mr. Wang had a fast heartbeat. The thrombosis and varicose veins in his legs also caused excruciating pain while he was walking. Yet the detention center refused to provide medical treatment for him.
Despite his condition, Mr. Wang was transferred to Jiazhou Prison around late May. The prison guards denied him family visits and refused to accept the clothes and cash deposits his family brought to him.
Ms. Yi remains at the Luzhou City Detention Center at the time of writing. The guards also denied her family visits, citing the pandemic as an excuse.
The Luzhou City Intermediate Court has been actively following the persecution policy since 1999. In addition to the above-mentioned two practitioners, Judge Cheng also upheld the prison sentences against practitioners Feng Deqiong, Gao Xianying, Zhang Yuanhua, and Zou Mingying. Judge Li Ruiliang was responsible for the imprisonment of at least eight practitioners, and Judge Li Huanting was responsible for sentencing four other practitioners to prison. Judge Li Xuedong, in particular, has been involved in the sentencing of at least 30 practitioners.
During the hearing of Mr. Yang Ming’s appeal case, Li interrupted Mr. Yang’s lawyers Tang Jitian and Liu Wei as they entered a not guilty plea for him. Both lawyers were forced by the judge to leave the court as Li accused them of defying a court order, which resulted in both lawyers having their licenses revoked.
During the five months between November 2014 and March 2015, Li upheld the sentencing of four practitioners, including Ms. Yang Taiying (sentenced to four years), Mr. Li Yanjun (sentenced to three and a half years), Ms. Tang Minghai (sentenced to four years), and Ms. Yi Qunren (sentenced to four years).
Related reports:
Three Falun Gong Practitioners Sentenced by Same Court in Five Days
Mr. Wang Xianshu and Ms. Zhao Zuli Facing Trial
Terminally Ill Wife Dies, Denied the Chance to See Detained Husband One Last Time
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