(Minghui.org) A native of Yushu City, Jilin Province is awaiting a verdict after two court hearings for his spiritual belief in Falun Gong. Mr. Yu Chunbo’s wife is also being detained because of his faith, and their teenage daughter struggles to fend for herself. Having lost his younger brother to the persecution of Falun Gong in 2007, Mr. Yu’s mother’s health further declined following his arrest last year, and she is now incapacitated.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Yu Chunbo and his wife Ms. Li Fengxia, who doesn’t practice Falun Gong, ran a breakfast stand in Changchun City, Jilin Province to support their daughter to attend a high school. The couple were arrested on November 12, 2020, for Mr. Yu’s faith in Falun Gong. He has since been held at the Changchun City No.2 Detention Center and his wife at the Changchun City No.4 Detention Center.
The couple made two appearances in Chaoyang District Court, first on May 24 and then around September 12, 2021. The presiding judge, Wang Yanan, didn’t inform their family or lawyer of the first hearing, which was conducted through a video conference. She rushed through the session in five minutes and didn’t allow the couple to defend themselves.
Although judge Wang indicated that there wasn’t enough evidence to sentence the couple at the second hearing, she refused to acquit them and extended the time for the police to collect more evidence against them.
Mr. Yu’s 70-year-old father frequented different government agencies, including the police station and procuratorate, to seek the couple’s release, but to no avail. At the same time, Ms. Yu’s mother suffered a critical medical condition. She was incapacitated and incontinent.
Mr. Yu himself developed a medical condition and has been hospitalized twice. He was having difficulty eating and his weight quickly plummeted.
This isn’t the first time that Mr. Yu has been targeted for his faith. He was previously arrested in 2000 and given two years at the Chaoyanggou Forced Labor Camp.
While he was serving time, his younger brother, Mr. Yu Chunhai, was also arrested for practicing Falun Gong and incarcerated at the same labor camp. The torture and intensive labor took a toll on the younger Mr. Yu’s health. He struggled with poor health for three years after his release and passed away on January 21, 2007, at the age of 32.
Related reports:
Judge Rushes Through Hearings of Three Falun Gong Cases in Less Than Five Minutes Each
Having Lost One Son to the Persecution of Falun Gong, Elderly Father Calls for Another Son’s Release
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