(Minghui.org) An elementary teacher in Guizhou province was recently tried in court on December 8, 2016 despite her poor health. Her lawyer requested medical parole, but the request was turned down.
Ms. Zeng Chengqin of Zunyi City was arrested and detained at the Zunyi Second Detention Center on August 19, 2016. This is the third time that she has been detained. Her previous two arrests happened in 2006 and 2008. The only reason for her arrest was her faith in Falun Gong.
Facing Trial Despite Bad Health
Ms. Zeng has earlier hired a lawyer to defend her in court. However, two days before the trial, her lawyer received a phone call. The lawyer believed that the caller was a government agent, posing as a relative, who informed him that her family had decided to drop him as her lawyer.
The lawyer received another call from the judge on the same day, informing him that Ms. Zeng's family had decided to drop him as her lawyer.
The lawyer went to the court the next day and asked to see the paperwork from Ms. Zeng's family dropping him as her lawyer. The judge could not produce the document.
On the morning of the trial, many police cars were stationed outside the court. Police searched all passersby. Three practitioners who were in the area were arrested.
When the hearing started, Ms. Zeng was seen being assisted into the courtroom by two officers. Her lawyer requested that she be released on bail due to her bad health, and also asked to have the hearing postponed. The judge rejected both requests and continued with the hearing.
Despite having difficulty speaking, Ms. Zeng asserted that she was not guilty of a crime for filing a criminal complaint against the former dictator Jiang Zemin, having in her possession Falun Gong-related materials, or telling people about Falun Gong.
Her defense lawyer stated that there was nothing wrong with practicing Falun Gong, nor was it wrong to file a criminal complaint as everyone has a right to do so under the law. In addition, the Falun Gong-related materials are Ms. Zeng's personal items, and owning them does not amount to committing a crime.
The lawyer requested to summon witnesses to the court, but the request was denied. The court adjourned about three hours later at noon.
Previous Arrests and Imprisonments
Since the persecution of Falun Gong started in July 20, 1999, Ms. Zeng was repeatedly arrested and harassed. She was first arrested in November 2006 when she was teaching at Wenshui elementary school. She was sent to the Guizhou Women's Labor Camp for a year and a half.
The second arrest happened in the second half of 2008. She was sentenced to two years of labor camp.
During her imprisonments, she was subjected to brutal torture. In order to make Ms. Zeng renounce her belief, police instigated the inmates to beat and punish her by pulling her hair or stomping on her feet. She was also stripped of her clothes and beaten to the ground. Police deprived her of sleep for three days and nights. Ms. Zeng became emaciated as a result of the torture.
Even after Ms. Zeng was released from the labor camp, her local police station assigned someone to harass her at home.
Ms. Zeng was again arrested and detained in May 2011. During her detention, she shouted “Falun Dafa is good” and was handcuffed.
Police later broke into her home in May 2014 and confiscated Falun Gong books and a MP3 player.
Police once again broke into Ms. Zeng's home in March 2015 and confiscated a copy of Zhuan Falun.
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