(Minghui.org) An 82-year-old woman was made to stand trial on July 26, 2022, for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Liu Chunping, of Jinan City, Shandong Province, was arrested in October 2021 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong in a neighborhood. She was released on the same day after a brief interrogation.
Ms. Liu was summoned by the Zhangqiu District Procuratorate on June 7, 2022. The prosecutor ordered her to sign the list of Falun Gong items confiscated from her and recommended several lawyers to her. She insisted that she didn’t want the recommended lawyers. She clarified the facts about Falun Gong and pointed out how the communist regime defamed the practice. She also shared how her health improved through practicing Falun Gong. The prosecutor remained silent.
During her hearing by the Zhangqiu District Court on July 26, the presiding judge accused her of “promoting superstition and undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used to criminalize Falun Gong.
Ms. Liu responded that she is 82 this year and that she had never done any bad things in her life. “I’m following Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance to be a good person. What law did I break? Which law enforcement did I undermine?” Neither the judge nor the prosecutor responded to her.
Ms. Liu continued to say, “Heaven is watching us. Good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil.”
A police officer interrupted her, “We found 87 Falun Gong books at your home, right?”
“I’m not sure.” Ms. Liu said.
A court staff member ordered her to sign a document. She refused. The judge adjourned the hearing, which lasted only 30 minutes.
Prior to her latest ordeal, Ms. Liu was previously sentenced to one year in 2002 for distributing informational materials about Falun Gong. She was arrested again in 2020 and released on the same day, also for distributing Falun Gong materials.
82-year-old Woman Faces Prosecution for Distributing Materials about Falun Gong