(Minghui.org) The Yiyang City Intermediate Court tried four Falun Gong practitioners on June 6, 2013. Their attorneys provided such convincing arguments for their innocence that the judge and the procurators were unable to respond and called for an adjournment. Nevertheless, the court upheld the lower court's ruling on June 17, 2014, and sentenced the practitioners to prison.
Four human rights attorneys came from Beijing to represent the practitioners at the trial. They argued that the trial itself was unlawful, because “Falun Gong is entirely legal in China. There has never been any law in China declaring that Falun Gong is a cult. The Chinese Communist Party is atheistic. Falun Gong is theistic. The dispute is a difference between atheism and theism, and a political party cannot put a spiritual belief on trial.” Head judge Ye Qing and the others had no way to respond and called a recess.
After the recess, the lawyers showed them that Falun Gong was not on the list of 14 cults in China published recently in Justice Nightly, an official CCP newspaper. They asked the prosecutors to show any evidence to the contrary. The prosecutors could not respond.
The lawyers pointed out that the arrest, searches, trial, and detainment were unlawful and asked that the defendants be released immediately.
The court announced their decision to uphold the lower court's sentences on June 17, 2014.
Ms. Xiang Biyun, Ms. Leng Xuefei, Ms. Guo Lamei, and Ms. Zhao Fengxia of Yiyang City were arrested by Taojiang County Domestic Security Division captain Hu Fengliang and officers Tao Jihui, Cao Chenyun, and Chen Dayi of the Daligang Police Station on May 5, 2013, after a woman reported them. They were tried on October 17, 2013, in the local court.
Ms. Zhao was sentenced to two years in prison, and the other three practitioners were each sentenced to three and a half years. They filed an appeal with the Yiyang Intermediate Court.
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