(Minghui.org) Ms. Lai Xiucun from Beijing was put on trial on Sept. 17, 2018 for standing up for her faith in Falun Gong. Ms. Lai's lawyer defended her innocence and called for her immediate release.
This was the first time since the persecution began, that a court lawyer in Beijing's Miyun District openly stood up to enter a plea of “not guilty” for a trial involving Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline persecuted by the communist regime since 1999.
When Ms. Lai called out to the court, “Falun Dafa is good! The persecution is unjust!” the bailiff dragged her out of the courtroom.
On March 18, 2018, Ms. Lai made a call to the Beijing police hotline to file a complaint against local police officers who were constantly harassing her. She described how, in one instance, seven or eight officers had broken her window and entered her property to take her personal belongings. The following day, another officer scaled her wall to open the gate and allow others to come in and search her home.
“I'm suing the police for violating Article 39 of the Constitution,” Ms. Lai said. “You illegally invaded and searched a citizen's home.
“I'm also suing the police for violation of Article 36 - a citizen has the right of freedom of belief,” she continued. “These crimes perpetrated by the police must be stopped.”
Two hours after placing the call, several officers from the local police station came to Ms. Lai's home. This time, they didn't go over the wall, instead knocking on her door. But they grabbed Ms. Lai's husband, Li Shenglu, and took him back to the station, holding him for most of the day.
The police continued harassing Ms. Lai. On April 27, they again scaled her wall and entered the yard, and took the husband and wife away together. After eventually releasing her husband, police sent Ms. Lai to the Miyun District Detention Center. They proceeded to illegally collect “evidence” by breaking into her home multiple times. Then the police charged her, and the case was sent to the district procuratorate.
Lai Xiucun's hearing was set for the morning of Sept. 17, 2018, at the Miyun District Court. When Ms Lai appeared, she looked thin, but she held a smile on her face as she looked around calmly. When the judge asked her whether she would like to have the courtroom cleared, she said, “No need. Everyone is here to learn the truth. Those who know the truth will be blessed.”
Wang Yijun, the assistant prosecutor, presented materials obtained from Ms. Lai's home during two different illegal searches as evidence. They consisted of Falun Dafa books and flyers; paper bills containing information exposing the persecution; Falun Dafa CDs and calendars; a satellite receiver (to view uncensored broadcasts), and a computer and printer.
The prosecutor claimed possession of such materials violated and disrupted Chinese law, and asked whether the “evidence” did in fact belong to her.
“These are good things, and are meant to help people learn the facts about the persecution,” Ms. Lai said. When the prosecutor pressed Ms. Lai on her use of these materials, an unidentified person in attendance spoke out in her defense, saying,“It's not illegal to own these things. There is a lifetime accountability system for those in the legal system. You should think about your future when passing judgment.”
The judge immediately had this person removed, and again Ms. Lai was asked whether she claimed ownership of the “evidence” presented by the prosecutor.
Ms. Lai reiterated with full confidence, “These are very good things! They are used to inform the people of China, of the world,” she said. “Of course they are mine!”
When the defense lawyer attempted to present medical records that showed Ms. Lai's husband suffered a stroke during her four months of detention, she stopped the lawyer. She didn't want sympathy from the court. Rather, she stated that as a Falun Gong practitioner she was innocent of all charges, and sought to clear her name.
In presenting her defense, Ms. Lai's lawyer was thorough and meticulous. She said that the official list of cults did not contain Falun Gong. Furthermore, she stated, a recent order from the "Department of Press and Publication" had abolished the ban on Falun Gong materials, making it legal for Ms. Lai to possess them. She should not be charged for this.
The lawyer added that, therefore, a conviction against her client would not be based on law.
The assistant prosecutor then stated that the removal of the ban on Falun Gong publications did not include self-made flyers or calendars, that any publications made without authorization were illegal. The defense was that not-for-profit publications, according to Chinese law, are exempt from such authorization, including Falun Gong books and materials.
When Ms. Lai's lawyer delved into the illegality of the entire investigation--Xitangezhuang Police had filed the case first, and then conducted an investigation--the judge put a stop to that discussion.
Now 58 years old, Ms. Lai Xiucun started practicing Falun Gong in 1998. Before that she had suffered from multiple afflictions, including kidney problems, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis. She also suffered from puerperal fever – a painful, debilitating disease of the the female reproductive organs that causes severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting,
After beginning the practice of Falun Gong, she fully recovered. Her relationship with her neighbors, friends, and family - including her in-laws – noticeably improved, and she was well-liked in the neighborhood.
Since the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong began in July of 1999, Ms. Lai has been imprisoned in a forced labor camp twice. Despite the harsh environment, she maintained a high standard for herself, living by Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. She refused to go against her conscience, placing others first.
Miyun District Court:Dan Qinlin, judge for this case, 86-10-69092125Li Lijuan, assistant of the judge, 86-10-69092195
Minyun District Procuratorate:Yue Haiyan, prosecutor of the case, 86-10-59557795Wang Yijun, assistant of the prosecutor, 86-10-59557795
Xitangezhuang Police Station:Wang Zhen, head of police station, 86-13601001034Li Guohua, police, 86-13811100868