(Minghui.org) Within 24 hours, nine Falun Gong practitioners from Jixi City were illegally arrested by officers from the Jixi Domestic Security Division. Most were arrested at night or early in the morning between July 10 and 11, 2013, either at home or on their way home.
After receiving evidence fabricated by the police, the Procuratorate and the court proceeded with the practitioners' cases. Six practitioners - Mr. Zhang Haitao, Mr. Zhang Zuojun, Ms. Wang Lansheng, Ms. Li Haiyan, Ms. Zhao Chunyan, and Mr. Zhang Peizeng - were sentenced and sent to either Mudanjiang City Prison or Haerbin Women's Prison in December 2013. The other three - Ms. Gu Aimin and Ms. Gu Shurong - escaped, and Ms. Yang Yunyi was released because of lack of evidence.
The practitioners' lawyers and relatives have appealed to a higher court. They are still waiting for a response from Jixi City Court and Jixi City Procuratorate.
Police Extort Confessions Using Torture
Jiang Yunpeng and other officers from the Domestic Security Division extorted confessions by torturing practitioners Mr. Zhang Zuojun, Mr. Zhang Haitao, Ms. Li Haiyan, and Ms. Wang Lansheng. They beat them, deprived them of sleep, and even shocked Mr. Zhang Zuojun's and Mr. Zhang Haitao's genitals with an electric baton.
Officer Jiang Yunpeng
Brutal Torture by Jiang Yunpeng
The electric baton they used was an unusually large one provided by Jiang Yunpeng. He visited several stores and bought it from one that supplies soldiers.
Jiang Yunpeng interrogated each practitioner four to six times, using torture each time. This caused the practitioners not only physical injury, but also mental trauma. Whenever the police approached them, they were terrified.
They also tortured the female practitioners. They shocked Ms. Li Haiyan's mouth and body with an electric baton, beat her with a water bottle, bound her to a board, beat her with a belt, force-fed her, kicked her shins, hit her shins with a wooden stick, and put earphones on her at the loudest volume.
To avoid being seen when they tortured practitioners, Jiang Yunpeng transferred them to Jidong County Detention Center from Jixi City No. 2 Detention Center. Even while driving there, they tried to park in a deserted area to beat Ms. Li Haiyan.
When Ms. Li was taken to the Jidong County Detention Center, Jiang Yupeng and Guan Bin continued to torture her. The detention center refused to keep her because they were afraid she would die, so Jiang Yunpeng had to take her back to Jixi City. On they way, he grabbed her by the throat and shouted, “I will kill you!” He hit her in the ribs, punched her in the face, and pinched her.
610 Office Personnel Tortured Practitioners
Ms. Li Haiyan went on a hunger strike to protest the arrest. Due to torture and force- feeding, she was very weak and was sent to the hospital.
When they tried to force-feed Ms. Li, she refused to open her mouth. Wang Xuhui, head of the local 610 Office, and Li Lijun held her so tightly that she couldn't move. Then they pulled her head back by her hair to open her mouth.
On October 8, 2013, Ms. Li was bailed out. She was supposed to be released to return home, but personnel from the 610 Office and Domestic Security Division took her to a brainwashing center. They took turns monitoring her. She was handcuffed to a bed the whole time.
The Court Conspires with the Procuratorate and Police to Sentence Practitioners
When Cheng Tao, head of the Prosecution Section from the Chengzihe District Procuratorate, came to verify the facts with the lawyers involved, the lawyers told him that the confessions had been extorted using torture and couldn't be used as evidence. Cheng Tao said, “I didn't see any torture.”
On November 5, 2013, the Chengzihe District Court held an open hearing for the practitioners. The practitioners pointed out that the procurator's claims were not true. The judge replied, “I have your signed confessions.” The practitioners told the judge that the confessions had been extorted from them when Jiang Yunpeng tortured them and could not be used as evidence against them. The judge replied, “Prove it.” He didn't even allow the practitioners to testify in their own defense. Ms. Wang Lansheng was even removed from the courtroom.
On November 26, 2013, Mr. Zhang Haitao was sentenced to eight years in prison, Mr. Zhang Zuojun to eight years, Ms. Wang Lansheng to four years, and Ms. Li Haiyan to three years. Ms. Zhao Chunyan had previously been sentenced to five years in prison.
Appeals Intentionally Delayed
The practitioners and their lawyers sought to file appeals with the Jixi City Intermediate Court. The government didn't expect there would be lawyers willing to take their cases. The Political and Legal Affairs Committee secretly pressured other related departments.
When the lawyers went to the detention center to meet with their clients, they were not allowed to see them. Personnel at the detention center said they were ordered to deny the lawyers entry. When the lawyers went to the court to check on their clients' documents, they were also turned away, with the excuse that they “do not have any documents.”
Jixi City Intermediate Court
On January 21, 2014, the lawyers went to the intermediate court to request a re-trial. Due to the lawyers' and families' strong requests, the court had to promise to consider a re-trial.
On January 22, 2014, the families of four practitioners went to the Jixi City Procuratorate and filed a suit against the police in the domestic security division who extorted confessions by torturing the practitioners. They also filed a suit against the court and procuratorate for abusing the law.
Jixi City Procuratorate
On February 12, 2014, the practitioners' families and seven lawyers went to the Jixi City Procuratorate to file a complaint. Two men and one woman were instructed to record them, but the lawyers stopped them. One of the men said he was doing what his superior told him to do.
The lawyer said, “You have no right to video-record us. To do so, you have to show us your identity and get permission from us. Now, please show me your ID.” However, they were reluctant to do so. After an hour, one of them showed his credentials but took them back quickly, and no one actually saw it clearly.
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