(Minghui.org) Shenbei New District Court of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province sentenced Ms. Niu Guifang and Ms. Qu Lihong on February 27, 2013. Ms. Niu was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. Ms. Qu was sentenced to three years of imprisonment on five years' probation.

Shenbei New District Court did not notify Ms. Niu's lawyers, either her or her family before she was sentenced.

The court staff went to Shenyang City No.1 Detention Center to sentence Ms. Niu secretly on March 1. They did not issue a written judgment, nor did they inform Ms. Niu of her right to appeal.

Ms. Niu's two lawyers filed an appeal to Shenyang City Intermediate Court on March 6 for her.

Court Sentenced Ms. Niu without Notifying Her, Her Lawyers or Her Family

Ms. Niu's lawyers made a phone call to Wang Xu, the judge at Shenbei New District Court to inquire about Ms. Niu's case on March 4, 2013. The news the lawyers received was that the court had already sentenced Ms. Niu Guifang and Ms. Qu Lihong on February 27, 2013. The lawyers were shocked.

The lawyers then called Ms. Niu's family and asked if they received any notification prior to the sentence and whether they had received the written judgment. The response from the family was, “No!”

Lawyers Request a Written Judgment, Judge Makes Excuses

Ms. Niu's two lawyers and the family then went to Shenbei New District Court on March 5 and went straight to Judge Wang Xu. Wang Xu was not happy to see them.

When the lawyers asked her why she did not notify the lawyers, her family or Ms. Niu prior to the sentence and why the family never received the written judgment, Wang Xu tried to make different excuses.

The lawyers then went to Zou Donghui, the President of the Court and received the so-called “judgment.”

Ms. Niu Guifang Was Not Informed of Her Right to Appeal, She Was to be Directly Sent to Prison

The lawyers and the family then went to Shenyang City No. 1 Detention Center on the afternoon of March 5. When they asked Ms. Niu if anybody had told her about her right to appeal. Ms. Niu said, “After they read the judgment, they moved me to a different room (a room for inmates who will be sent to prison). They did not tell me anything.”

Perpetrators in Shenbei New District Court Neglect Their Duty and Abuse the Law

Under the instigation of the 610 Office, perpetrators at Shenbei New District Court put Ms. Niu Guifang and Ms. Qu Lihong on a trial on January 17, 2013.

According to the law, the family needs to be notified three days prior to the trial. However, the trial was held on January 17, and the family did not receive the notification until the night on January 16.

Ms. Qu Lihong's husband did not even directly receive the notification. Therefore, the family did not have the opportunity to hire lawyers for them prior to the trial.

It has been six months since the family saw Ms. Niu Guifang. She was extremely thin. Her weight had dropped from about 155 lbs to 110 lbs.

After the trial, the family hired two lawyers for Ms. Niu. The two lawyers filed an appeal for Ms. Niu to Shenyang City Intermediate Court on March 6, 2013.

Perpetrators Contact Information:
Hao Lianfeng, Prosecutor, Shenbei New District Procuratorate: +86-24-89863526, +86-13644058098
Zou Donghui, President of Shenbei New District Court: +86-24-89749792, +86-13591656568, +86-24-89611578
Wang Xu, Judge: +86-24-89749755, +86-13998873629

Previous reports:

Four Falun Gong Practitioners from Shenyang, Liaoning Province Arrested, Sent to Labor Camp
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/9/13/135406.html   

Ms. Niu Guifang from Shenyang City Severely Beaten by Police
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2013/1/26/137246.html