(Minghui.org) The parents of a renowned blind pianist were recently tried in Qingdao, Shandong Province, for practicing Falun Gong.
Mr. Jin Yongxin, 60, and Ms. Bian Lixun, 58, were put on trial in the Shibei District Court on July 18, 2017. Their lawyer argued that there is no legal basis for the charge, because the Chinese Constitution grants citizens freedom of belief. No verdict was announced at the end of the trial.
The trial was held about seven months after the couple and seven practitioners were arrested for reading Falun Gong books in Mr. Jin's home on December 2, 2016.
Although the seven people were released, Mr. Jin and Ms. Bian were given criminal detention and taken to the Pudong Detention Center.
According to an unnamed source, the police had been monitoring the couple since 2015. The police installed a surveillance camera outside the home of Mr. Jin's mother in February 2016. His phone was also monitored.
The police submitted the couple's case to the Shibei District Procuratorate in April 2017, but the procuratorate returned the case, citing insufficient evidence.
The police re-submitted the case to the procuratorate on June 9, 2017, and the procuratorate filed the case with the court that day.
Mr. Jin Yongxin and Ms. Bian Lixun are the parents of renowned pianist Jin Yuanhui, who was born blind. The couple recognized the musical talent in their son. Being a low-income working family, they took part time jobs so that they could pay for their son's piano lessons.
The couple experienced health problems, while Yuanhui's piano skills improved significantly. Ms. Bian was in critical condition several times due to multiple strokes and heart problems. She was laid off from her job in her early 30s.
When their son turned 14, his parents began to practice Falun Gong and they were free of all their ailments shortly afterward.
The son has turned into a renowned pianist, despite his blindness, and often performs inside and outside of China. But his parents, who were once reported by local media extensively for their excellent education of their son, are now detained and being persecuted for their faith in Falun Gong.