(Minghui.org) A couple in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province were arrested in 2015 for passing out information about Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Shan Qinshu was released on bail, and her husband, Mr. Wei Zhenqun, was sentenced to three years in prison on April 21, 2016.
Shortly after Mr. Wei was released, Ms. Shan was taken back into custody and she appeared in court on May 23, 2019 to face the same charge based on the same prosecution's evidence as her husband did before.
Wife's Bail
When Ms. Shan was released following her 2015 arrest, she paid the police 3,000 yuan bail bond. Her bail term expired on February 23, 2017.
Mr. Wei was released on October 6, 2018, and the police arrested Ms. Shan at home two months later, on December 18. They claimed that she had violated the bail condition by failing to report her recent relocation to a new residence.
Ms. Shan appeared in Sujiatun District Court on May 23, 2019. Upon seeing that many of her family members came to attend her hearing, the judge switched from the big hearing room to a small one. Only nine people were allowed to enter and each of them had to show the police their IDs. Plainclothes officers took pictures of everyone who came to the court.
Ms. Shan's lawyer entered a not guilty plea for her. He argued that according to the criminal law in China, the bail term cannot exceed 12 months. As Ms. Shan moved several months after her bail term had expired, she didn't violate the condition.
The lawyer also showed a document from the police, in which they stated that they were to return her bail bond as she didn't violate any regulations during that period.
Husband's Case Documents Used to Charge Wife
Unable to refute the lawyer, the prosecutor said that he approves Ms. Shan's arrest not because of a bail violation but because of some other things, which he failed to specify. He then took out Mr. Wei's case document and read aloud every piece of evidence against Mr. Wei, including possession of Falun Gong books.
The lawyer questioned the prosecutor, “Is the hearing today for my client Ms. Shan or her husband, Mr. Wei? Everything you just read is exactly the same as those used to charge Mr. Wei a few years ago.”
The prosecutor didn't respond.
Stepdaughter's Defense
In addition to the lawyer's defense, Ms. Shan's stepdaughter also defended her innocence and vouched for her character.
The young woman argued that no law in China has criminalized Falun Gong, and that the Constitution grants Chinese citizens freedom of religion and belief. She also pointed out a notice issued by the Chinese publication bureau in which they quietly lifted the ban on publication of Falun Gong books in 2011.
In the end, the daughter said that her stepmother didn't do anything to obstruct law enforcement, which is a standard pretext used by the communist authorities to imprison Falun Gong practitioners. She said that her mother is a noble person.
“After my dad was imprisoned, mom worked hard and lived a frugal life in order to support my younger brother to go to school. What's wrong with that?” she asked.
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