(Minghui.org) Two and a half months after the police re-submitted the case of eight Falun Gong practitioners persecuted for their faith, the procuratorate rejected the case again and returned it to the police on September 20, 2018.
The eight practitioners, from Rizhao City, Shandong Province, were arrested between February 2 and 3, 2018, two weeks before the Chinese New Year. The police had monitored them for months before the arrests. They ransacked the practitioners' residences and confiscated computers, printers, Falun Gong books, and related materials.
The practitioners are Ms. Gong Hua, Ms. Sun Ping, Ms. Qu Zhengrong, Ms. Qu Zhenghua, Mr. Yao Yonglun, Ms. Li Huijuan, Mr. Wang Yanzhou, and Ms. Wang Junling.
All of the practitioners were held at the Rizhao City Detention Center. The police beat and verbally abused them during interrogation.
None of the practitioners' family members received official notice of their loved ones' arrests. When they went to the police station to demand their release, the police denied knowledge of their cases.
Mr. Wang Yanzhou's wife had just given birth to their second child. His sudden arrest left the family desolate and fearful.
The police also threatened Ms. Qu Zhengrong's daughter, telling her that she wasn't allowed to hire a lawyer to represent her mother.
The Donggang District Procuratorate approved the arrests of Ms. Gong, Ms. Sun and Ms. Qu Zhengrong on March 9 and they remained at the Rizhao City Detention Center. The other five practitioners were forced to pay 3,000 yuan before being released on bail.
The police submitted the case of all eight practitioners to the Donggang District Procuratorate on May 8, 2018, which rejected it and returned it to the police on June 8.
One month later on July 6, the police re-submitted the case.
Following a rule by the Shandong Province High Court to consolidate Falun Gong cases to regional procuratorates and courts, the Donggang District Procuratorate transferred the case to the Wulian County Procuratorate on August 6, which rejected the case again and returned it to the police on September 20.
It's not clear whether the police are planning to continue pressing charges against the practitioners.
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