(Minghui.org) Ms. Qi Fengmin was arrested again 10 months after her release from serving five years in prison and sentenced on September 30, 2013, to another five years.
Her sister is suing the authorities for this miscarriage of justice.
Re-Arrested
Ms. Qi Fengmin, a Falun Gong practitioner in the Taobei District of Baicheng City, Jilin Province, was released in July 2012 after serving five years in prison. She arrested again on April 9, 2013, for handing out complimentary Shen Yun DVDs. She was illegally sentenced to five years in prison by the Taobei District Court on September 30, 2013.
Baicheng Intermediate Court has accepted Ms. Qi's appeal. Her family has asked that the Intermediate Court hold a public hearing. They are also suing those involved in persecuting Ms. Qi.
Trial Details
Ms. Qi's Beijing attorney pleaded not guilty on her behalf in Taobei District Court on July 18, 2013. He pointed out that the constitution allows freedom of belief and that Ms. Qi should be released immediately. His defense left the prosecutor, Zhang Nannan, at a loss for words and the courtroom in silence.
Despite the lawyer's well-prepared defense, Ms. Qi was sentenced on September 30 to five years in prison. She appealed immediately.
Ms. Qi's Family Asks Disturbing Questions
Ms. Qi's family went to the Baicheng Intermediate Court on December 11, 2013, and asked the investigator, Ge Shengnan, why Ms. Qi was sentenced to five years in prison for doing nothing wrong. Her family requested a public hearing and the immediate and unconditional release of Ms. Qi.
Ms. Qi's relatives asked Ge what a “repeated conviction on the verdict” meant. Ge said it referred to Ms. Qi's being sentenced previously. Ms. Qi's relative said, “The president, Xi Jinping, was called a counter-revolutionary when he was 13 years old, but now he is president. Can you explain that?” Ge had no reply.
Ms. Qi's family later wrote into the record of the court proceedings, “There is nothing wrong with being a good person who follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Ms. Qi should be released.”
Impact of the Persecution on Her Family
Ms. Qi was sentenced to five years in prison in July 2008 because she practiced Falun Gong. Her husband was forced to divorce her and her daughter had to live with her grandparents for a short time. After her grandmother passed away, the daughter had to move.
Ms. Qi and her daughter were finally reunited after Ms. Qi returned home. But ten months after she was released, Ms. Qi was arrested again for handing out a complimentary Shen Yun DVD. This made her daughter very sad.
Family Sues the Persecutors
Ms. Qi's sister, Qi Fengzhen, has sued those involved in the persecuting her sister. Below are the main points in the indictment:
Suspects:
Lu Jizhou (吕继州), deputy director of Guangmin Police Station of Taobei District Police Department in Baicheng City, Jilin Province.
Zhang Nannan (张楠楠), chief of the prosecution section of Taobei District Procuratorate in Baicheng City, Jilin Province.
Zhang Enyou (张恩友), presiding judge of No 1 Criminal Tribunal of Taobei District Court in Baicheng City, Jilin Province.
Remedies Requested:
Charge the above with abduction, breaking into a private home, conducting an illegal search, depriving citizens of their freedom of belief, illegal detention, abuse of power by individuals charged with enforcing the law.
Compensation to Ms. Qi for damages, both physical and mental.
Compensation for financial losses when Ms. Qi was in prison and couldn't earn an income to support her daughter's education.
Compensation for damages to Ms. Qi's daughter.
The Facts of the Case
My sister used to suffer from frequent headaches due to her poor health. After she started to practice Falun Gong, these went away. She follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and has been recognized in my hometown as a good and kind person. She was reported just because she spoke to people about Falun Gong and handed out a complimentary DVD on traditional culture. She was arrested and charged by the Taobei District Procuratorate in Baicheng City. The presiding judge was Zhang Enyou.
My sister was illegally sentenced by the Taobei District Court to five years in prison for the crime of “using a cult organization to interfere with law enforcement.” My sister didn't undermine the enforcement of any laws or administrative regulations, nor did she violate No.1 of Clause 300 of the “Criminal Law Code.” She should be released immediately and unconditionally.
It has been recognized worldwide that freedom of belief is a basic human right and that any suppression of this freedom violates international law. The United Nations General Assembly in 1981 adopted “Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,” and stating that “No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have a religion or belief of his choice.”
In the Chinese Constitution, Clauses 35 and 36 clearly warrant freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The constitution is the fundamental law in China and supersedes all other laws, administrative regulations, and local rules and regulations.
Lu Jizhou from the Guangmin Police Station of the Taobei District Police Department, Zhang Enyou with the Taobei District Court, and Zhang Nannan from the Taobei District Procuratorate violated the law. There was no legal basis for the evidence they presented and the charges they put before the court. They are expected to understand the law, but they didn't observe the law and passsed an illegal sentence. They abused their power, violated a basic human right of a citizen, and tarnished the image of our country with respect to law enforcement.
The criminal suspects above violated “Criminal Law” and are suspected of having committed the crimes of abduction, breaking into a citizen's residence, illegal searches, depriving citizens of their belief, and illegal detention. Clause 33 of the Constitution warrants the respect and protection of human rights. The suspects above violated the Constitution and should be charged. I
hereby state my intention to sue the persons named to protect our basic human rights and to uphold the constitution and laws.
I strongly request that the Taobei District Court verdict be vacated and that Ms. Qi Fengmin be released unconditionally.
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