(Minghui.org) Ms. Wang Xiuzhen, a 62-year-old woman from Xuchang City, was illegally arrested on October 19, 2015. She was still detained at the time of this publication, which is far beyond the legally allowed period.
Bailiffs Disrupt Order in the Court
She was tried on April 15, 2016, A dozen bailiffs blocked the court entrance and only five of Ms. Wang's family members were allowed to attend the trial.
The accusation against Ms. Wang was the generic charge, “using a cult to undermine law enforcement,” for removing posters that slandered Falun Gong, a spiritual belief persecuted in China since 1999.
Her lawyer pleaded not guilty during the April trial. As soon as the lawyer said that Falun Gong was not a cult, several bailiffs surrounded him, yelling, “Who are you to say that it isn't a cult!?” Order was lost in the court room.
The lawyer pointed at the bailiffs, raising his voice, “Are you allowed to speak here? Would you like to defend my client?” He then demanded that the judge restrain the bailiffs. Only then did the judge have the bailiffs quiet down.
The judge also repeatedly interrupted the attorney's defense of Ms. Wang. The judge stopped the lawyer and Ms. Wang from speaking multiple times, asserting that their defense was irrelevant to the proceedings.
When one of Ms. Wang's family members protested against the court's interference, a group of bailiffs dragged her out of the courtroom.
The lawyer's defense included the assertion that there is no law in China that criminalizes Falun Gong, and hence there is no legal basis to call Falun Gong a cult. Furthermore, Ms. Wang was arrested as she was removing posters that contained hateful information against Falun Gong. Her action did not hurt anyone or undermine law enforcement.
The trial lasted three hours, and the judge did not issue a verdict that day.
Arrests Take Toll on Family
Ms. Wang became a Falun Gong practitioner in 1996 and recovered soon afterwards from her illnesses.
After the persecution began in 1999, she was arrested and detained multiple times.
She was locked up in the local detention center for a month in May 2000. After being released, she was fired from her job because she went to Beijing to peacefully protest the persecution of Falun Gong, and for refusing to give up her faith.
Ms. Wang's constant absence from her home has harmed her family. Her husband is bed-ridden because of a heart condition. Her 6-month-old granddaughter has a congenital disease that requires daily outpatient treatment in a hospital. Her son became the sole caretaker of his sick father and daughter, besides having to make a living.
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