(Minghui.org) Ms. Li Yaping, a 60-year-old Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested on February 25, 2015 for handing out Shen Yun DVDs. On September 8, she was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Ms. Li’s lawyer appealed the sentence to the Fuzhou Intermediate Court and complained to the Fuzhou City Procuratorate that the lower court's sentence was illegal.

After Ms. Li’s lawyer applied for a second trial on October 9, he contacted Judge Liang Qingrong several times and asked him to move the trial forward. The judge promised that Ms. Li’s term would be reduced to three years. Judge Liang also told the lawyer that he was trying to suspend the jail sentence. Encouraged by the judge’s promise, the lawyer turned in the defense paperwork to the court on December 21, 2015.

After receiving the defense papers, Judge Liang Qingrong suddenly withdrew his promise. He insisted that suspending the sentence was out of the question, because the neighborhood community would not take responsibility for “reforming” Ms. Li. He added that a sentence reduction was not possible without higher authorities' approval. Four days later, on December 25, Judge Liang ruled to uphold the original sentence.

Ms. Li Yaping is now imprisoned in Fujian Women’s Prison.

Fuzhou Intermediate Court:Operator: +86-59187073008Judge Liang Qingrong (梁庆榕): +86-59187073292; +86-13625050158