(Minghui.org) A 54-year-old Guiyang City resident was tried on charges of “using a cult to undermine law enforcement,” a standard pretext used by the Chinese communist regime in its attempt to frame and imprison Falun Gong practitioners.
Ms. Zhu Xuemei credits Falun Gong for curing her hepatitis B and fatty liver disease. Her pursuit of health eventually landed her in police custody. She was boarding a train at Guiyang City Train Station on April 23, 2017 when she was seized by police, who had been monitoring her for months.
As a retired train crew member, Ms. Zhu could have boarded the train without purchasing a ticket. But as a Falun Gong practitioner, she felt she shouldn’t take advantage of the retiree benefit system since the purpose of her trip was to visit her 90-year-old mother in her hometown in Sichuan Province. She gave out her ID information as part of the ticket purchasing process, only to be tracked down by police in the process.
Ms. Zhu was taken back to her home the following day, and the police confiscated her personal belongings and valuables before driving her to the local Lannigou Detention Center that night.
The police promised to release Ms. Zhu if she renounced her faith in Falun Gong. Worrying about her elderly mother who lives alone, Ms. Zhu wrote a statement to give up her belief. Instead of being released as promised, she was soon indicted for it.
Ms. Zhu was interrogated several times by the local police and prosecutors. They warned her to not request her lawyer to defend her innocence. They promised to give her a lighter sentence if she complied with their demands.
Ms. Zhu appeared in court on February 8, 2018. Judge Qin Jiazhu asked whether she agreed to entrust her lawyer to defend her in court.
With her mother in mind, Ms. Zhu said she’d forgo the right to plead not guilty and to have her lawyer present defense arguments in court.
As her lawyer remained silent per her request, judge Qin and prosecutor Ji Chengxin alleged that Ms. Zhu had committed crimes by using her cell phone to send out Falun Gong information at the train station.
Ms. Zhu remains detained following her hearing.
Related Report:Dafa Practitioner in Guiyang City Detained for Her Faith