(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Qiang Mengsheng, was illegally tried on March 31, 2017. Mr. Qiang's lawyer defended him and entered a not guilty plea.

Many practitioners waited outside of the Weibin District Court in Baoji City to attend the trial. However, the Weibin District 610 office interfered, and the court only allowed five relatives to attend the trial.

A man wearing a police uniform took photos of Falun Gong practitioners and then went inside the building.

Mr. Qiang, in his 70s, was seen wearing handcuffs and chains around his feet. He was escorted by three bailiffs into the courtroom.

As the prosecutor Yang Ping, read the indictment, the presiding judge, Wang Chao, ordered the bailiff to bring two people into the courtroom. Kang Bo and another officer from the Weibin District 610 Office entered.

The prosecutor read the indictment and questioned the defendant in a rash manner. Mr. Qiang did not answer any of her questions.

Before the defense counsel raised his questions, he reminded the judge that the prosecutor should not use slanderous words to describe the defendant because practicing Falun Gong is legal in China. The judge and the prosecutor interrupted him and told him to present his questions.

In one of the questions, the defense counsel mentioned that the prosecutor had refused to state her name during a meeting with him. The prosecutor denied this and said the defense counsel did not have any proof.

The defense counsel then pointed out that according to the latest laws and regulations introduced in February 2017, the procuratorate should have made video and voice recordings of the meetings they had conducted with Mr. Qing.

The prosecutor did not respond to the statement and kept pressuring the defense counsel to ask his questions.

When the defense counsel raised an objection to the judge, the prosecutor grabbed the case file and said that the defendant and his lawyer were attacking her. She asked to withdraw from the court and left without permission. The judge had no choice but to adjourn the case.

The defense counsel asked the presiding judge to disqualify the prosecutor.