(Minghui.org) Ms. Wang Fenghua and Ms. Zhai Cuixia from Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia were arrested by officers Zhang Shikong and Wang Qiang on the afternoon of April 13, 2012 while they were talking to people about Falun Gong. Deputy chief Cui Lixin and others led by Bajia Village Party Secretary Sun Cai and Wang Jun searched the two practitioners' homes that afternoon. They confiscated their personal belongings and threatened Ms. Wang's husband that they would arrest him if he did not cooperate.

The two practitioners were detained for over four months before being put on trial in the Yuanbaoshan District Court on August 21, 2012. Ms. Wang's husband went to attend the trial and to see his wife, but the judge forced him to leave the courtroom.

Authorities afraid of public attending the trial

The front door to Yuanbaoshan District Court was not opened on the day of the trial. Instead, a security checkpoint was opened from the Appeals Office to the court. The checkpoint access was less than one meter wide, making it difficult for people to pass through. Four police holding electric batons were on guard at the check point, monitoring those trying to attend the court. In addition, many uniformed and plainclothes police were stationed outside the court, either standing on the street or in police vehicles. There was also a vehicle without any license plates, with seven to eight people inside.

The practitioners' family members and other people started to arrive at the court before 8 a.m.. Some had received an invitation letter to attend the court, while others had just heard of the trial and wanted to attend. An older man came to the court early, holding his invitation letter and ID card. He told others, “I want to hear how the lawyers from Beijing defend the practitioners. I know two things. First, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Second, we need to have humanity to be human.” The court police looked at the invitation letter and told the man that he must also have an attendance card. Since the man did not know how to get an attendance card, he had to sit on a chair nearby and wait for the court proceedings to finish to hear what was said.

It wasn’t long before there were about 30 people gathered in front of the security checkpoint. A policewoman from the court then started to issue attendance cards. Only the practitioners' relatives were allowed to enter the court and it was limited to ten people per practitioner. The police blocked the rest of the people outside. A well known lawyer from the local area also attended the trial.

Invitation letter to attend the trial

In order to let more people know about Falun Gong, Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhai's relatives and friends sent an invitation letter to local people. It states:

“All just people, friends and fellows in Yuanbaoshan District:

How are you? Do you know why Falun Gong has been welcomed in over 100 countries and regions around the world but it is only persecuted in China? Do you know why Falun Gong practitioners still firmly persist in their belief after 13 years of persecution? Do you know why more and more lawyers are willing to defend Falun Gong practitioners despite pressure from the authorities? Two well known lawyers from Beijing will expose the facts to you. We sincerely invite you to attend the trial against two Falun Gong practitioners on August 21.”

“A brief description of the case:

Ms. Wang Fenghua and Ms. Zhai Cuixia, over 50 years old, are from Bajia Village, Yuanbaoshan District, Yuanbaoshan Town.

On the afternoon of April 13, 2012, police arrested Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Wang Fenghua and Ms. Zhai Cuixia. Deputy chief Cui Lixin and others searched the two practitioners' homes on the same afternoon, and confiscated their personal belongings and cash. After being detained for over a month, officials from Yuanbaoshan District Procuratorate approved the arrests under the accusation of “using a cult organization to undermine the law.” Since the practitioners began cultivating in Falun Gong, Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhai always consider others first and are kind to people. They did not undermine the law or use any cult organization. Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhai are always careful to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and are good citizens who follow the law. Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhai did not break the law, but officials from Yuanbaoshan Distinct Police Department kept detaining and persecuting them without any legal basis.

Isn't the Yuanbaoshan Distinct Police Department abusing its power and breaking the law during law enforcement? Who is really undermining the law? The two well known lawyers from Beijing explained the case in court.

Trial location: Yuanbaoshan District Court
Time: August 21, 2012
Invitees: Relatives and friends of Ms. Wang Fenghua and Ms. Zhai Cuixia

Note: Please forgive us if the trial time is changed or the court secretly sentences the practitioners' and we could not notify you in time. Please bring your IDs if you want to attend the trial.”

It is not crime to be a good person

The trial started at 8:40 a.m., but unexpectedly, judge Li Wenjie ordered Ms. Wang's husband out of the courtroom, stating that he was present when the police searched Ms. Wang's home, and therefore cannot attend the trial.

Ms. Wang was first to be questioned in court. When judge Li Wenjie told her that it is illegal to hand out Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs, Ms. Wang said that the show on the DVD expresses 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. One of the defense lawyers then insisted on playing the DVD to see whether there was any illegal content on it.

The 2012 Shen Yun Performing Arts DVD was played on a computer. As the curtain opened on stage and the host of Shen Yun clearly announced that the next performance was “Tanzi Gong,” the judge said it was “Falun Gong,” but those attending the court were quick to correct him and said it was Tanzi Gong, so the court played a few more of the performances. The judges, jurors and prosecutors continued to watch the show and had nothing to say.

The defense lawyer named Li went on to give reasons to prove Ms. Wang's innocence. First, there was no evidence to prove that she did anything illegal. Second, Ms. Wang did not attend any organization or conspire with anyone before handing out the Shen Yun DVDs. Third, none of the practitioners' actions broke the law. The lawyer then went on to say that Falun Gong is innocent and that believing in Falun Gong is freedom of belief.

The judge did not reply. But the prosecutors tried very hard to pursue their case. Ms. Wang then described how she had improved her moral standard since practicing Falun Gong, and how it helped her to improve her relationship with her neighbors and others.

Ms. Zhai was then questioned and Ms. Wang was taken away. Ms. Zhai described the persecution she suffered when she was twice sentenced to a forced labor camp. The first time she was arrested when she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and was sentenced to one year of forced labor. She was brutally persecuted in the camp, and then she exposed the crimes against her on the Internet when she was released. She became a wanted person by the authorities and had to leave home to avoid further persecution. However, she was later arrested when she was seen handing out truth clarification materials, and was sentenced to two years of forced labor. Ms. Zhai said firmly that she will cultivate Falun Dafa no matter what happens to her or no matter where she goes.

Then defense lawyer Chen stated that it was illegal to detain the practitioners for over four months. Defense lawyer Li explained that Falun Gong is not a cult and that handing out Falun Gong materials is not a crime, and insisted that the two practitioners were innocent.

Article 35 of the constitution stipulates: “Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.” Article 36 of the constitution stipulates: “Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion, nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities. No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state. Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination.” Article 251 of the Criminal Law states: “State personnel who unlawfully deprive citizens of their freedom of religious belief and infringe upon the customs and habits of minority ethnic groups, when the circumstances are serious, are to be sentenced to not more than two years of fixed-term imprisonment or criminal detention.”

Defense lawyer Li also told the court that the practitioners cultivated themselves based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and that no law in China states that their actions break any laws. The judge then got angry and said, “The government does not allow people to practice Falun Gong. Do you know that Falun Gong is a cult?” The prosecutors proposed to sentence the two practitioners. Then the judge asked Ms. Zhai what else she wanted to say.

Ms. Zhai replied, “I do not have too much to say. I cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I truly hope you judges understand the truth. You must remember Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. When the catastrophes come in the future, this will save your lives.” The judges and the prosecutors nodded. The practitioners' relatives and the people attending the trial seemed touched by the practitioner's words and actions. Even though the practitioners were handcuffed and shackled, they still thought of the consequences of the judge's actions.

After the trial, Ms. Zhai and Ms. Wang were taken through the back door to a police vehicle. During the trial, the police repeatedly took photos of those attending the court. Dressed in plainclothes, Yuanbaoshan District Domestic Security Team leader Wang Heran and Guo Yunfeng kept walking back and forth outside the courtroom. When the trial ended, the relatives and people waiting outside were eager to inquire about the verdict. Wang Heran then tried to move closer to the group of people talking so that he could hear what they were saying.

Additional information

When Ms. Wang's husband, Mr. Wang Yanping, was only 28 years old, he contracted a strange illness, which caused his hand to go numb. When he had to work during the day, his hands were so painful that he couldn't sleep well at night. Taking medicine and injections did not seem to help either. Someone later introduced Falun Gong to him and he started to practice. Since then, the numbness in his hand completely disappeared and he became more energetic. He got rid of many bad habits including smoking, drinking, and taking advantage of others.

Ms. Zhao suffered from many illnesses before she started practicing Falun Gong, such as Hepatitis B, cervical erosion and mastitis. The lump in her breast was bigger than her fist. In spring 1999, she started to practice and her illnesses soon disappeared.

Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhai's bodies and minds significantly improved after cultivating Falun Dafa, and they were strict in following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. However, since the persecution started the two families have suffered tremendously.

Ms. Zhai has been arrested and sentenced many times. She was tortured by Zhang Qinghuai and others at the Pingzhuang Detention Center, and was brutally beaten by guard Wu Hongxia and others at the Tumuzi Forced Labor Camp. Her term at the labor camp was also extended by five months.

Ms. Wang's family was torn apart due to the persecution. Her husband was arrested by police officer Liu Weimin from Yuanbaoshan District and was detained at the Pingzhuang Detention Center. He was tortured there and his collarbone was broken. After he was released, he was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution.

When Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhai's family members knew that the Yuanbaoshan District judicial system conspired to imprison the two practitioners, they hired lawyers from Beijing to defend them.

Ms. Zhai's daughter, son-in-law and younger sister did not understand the facts about Falun Gong before, but came to realize the true situation after the lawyer and the practitioners clarified the facts in the court.