(Minghui.org) Four Falun Gong practitioners were illegally tried in the Taigu County Court on May 27, 2015. The police and the court pressured and threatened the practitioner and her family to dismiss the attorney during the court session.
Two of the practitioners passed out that afternoon, as they were forced to stand the entire time, and the long trial was then adjourned.
The practitioners placed on trial are Ms. Zhang Xiuhong, Ms. Lei Caiying, Ms. Cao Guiling, and Ms. Liu Dongmei. Ms. Liu was released due to her illness.
Attorney Dismissed Under Pressure
Li Yusheng, captain of the Taigu County Domestic Security Division, repeatedly called Ms. Zhang's family, even right before the trial, and demanded they discharge the attorney they hired.
“Practicing Falun Gong will hurt the careers of the practitioners' children and her relatives.” Li threatened.
Li told the practitioners' families not to hire any attorney and that it was useless to hire one. One practitioner's family dismissed their attorney as a result. Li also pressured Ms. Zhang’s husband to divorce her.
Ms. Zhang's attorney delivered a strong defense for his client during the morning session of the trial, which was highly praised by her family. The judge angrily hammered on the desk.
The judge called in Ms. Zhang and her husband during the noon recess and had a conversation with them. When the afternoon session started, Ms. Zhang said that she did not want the attorney to defend her.
After the attorney was dismissed, Ms. Zhang wept and read the “confession statement” the court prepared for her.
Background
Ms. Zhang, Ms. Lei, along with other practitioners, from Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, were arrested on December 19, 2014, for distributing informational materials about the persecution of Falun Gong. They were taken to the Yuci Detention Center in Jinzhong City.
Ms. Cao was arrested on January 30, 2015, and taken to the same detention center.
Parties involved in persecuting the four practitioners:
Huang Hongyan (黄鸿雁), head of the Taigu County Court: +86-354-3528301, +86-13700558991
Gao Yi (高屹), head of the Taigu County Procuratorate: +86-354-3528347, +86-354-6232000
Xing Yujie (邢玉杰), section chief of the Arrest Approval Section of the Taigu County Procuratorate: +86-13593105768
Li Yusheng (李玉生), captain of the Domestic Security Division of the Taigu County Police Department: +86-13834188787, +86-13383442006
Li Yusheng’s wife: officers of the Taigu County Police Department: +86-354-6267034
Wang Peng (王鹏), secretary of the Taigu County Political and Legal Affairs Committee: +86-354-6223023
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