(Minghui.org) Just 21 months after a Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, resident finished serving 4.5 years for her faith in Falun Gong, she was arrested again and sentenced to 7.5 years, for putting up the word “fu” (福, or luck) on her window to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Ms. Zhang Juhong, 54, was arrested at home around 9 a.m. April 25, 2022, by officers from Sanjiang Police Station and Xiaohe District Police Department. They handcuffed her, seized the property, and put up police seals on every door. When the police finally left at 11 p.m., they took Ms. Zhang to Xiaohe District Police Department for interrogation.
Ms. Zhang was taken to a quarantine location two days later on April 27, and transferred to the Guiyang Fourth Detention Center on May 17 under criminal detention. During that time, her family hired a lawyer at her request.
After the police submitted her case to the Nanming District Procuratorate, the case was rejected three times, citing insufficient evidence. The prosecutor still indicted her eventually and moved her case to the Nanming District Court. Her family didn’t attend the first hearing (date unknown), as they only received an unclear text message from the court. Her lawyer attended the session and entered a not-guilty plea for her.
Ms. Zhang was accused of “openly spreading Falun Gong” by putting up the word “fu” on her window. The Falun Gong-related materials confiscated from her place were also used as prosecution evidence against her.
Her lawyer argued that the prosecutor failed to justify the connection between the character on her window and her “promoting Falun Gong.” Even if she did put up Falun Gong material on her window, she didn’t violate any law in doing so.
The police also accused Ms. Zhang of giving someone a wall calendar with Falun Gong messages, but the calendar presented by that person in court was not the one Ms. Zhang had handed out. Despite the unclear evidence, the prosecutor proposed a prison term of 5.5 years.
The lawyer pointed out that there was a conflict of interest for the police to “authenticate” Falun Gong materials confiscated from his client as “cult propaganda.” By law, only an independent, third-party forensic agency can examine and verify prosecution evidence. As such, the evidence “authenticated” by the police should be rendered invalid.
The judge held another hearing of Ms. Zhang’s case in late November 2023. Only one family member attended the session. Her lawyer again demanded her acquittal.
Ms. Zhang’s family heard from her lawyer in February 2024 that she had been sentenced to 7.5 years with a fine of 30,000 yuan. So far the family has not received a hard copy of her verdict, but only read the electronic version dated December 10, 2023, received by the lawyer. The verdict did not mention the hearing time and location.
Ms. Zhang is still kept at Sanjiang Detention Detention Center, now awaiting the result of her appeal.
A New Life from Practicing Falun Gong
Ms. Zhang used to have a miserable life after being born in 1970. Although she survived meningitis at age 2, the sequelae affected her brain development and she could not continue her education after primary school. Her first husband died of a medication error just a few years into their marriage. Their son drowned at the age of 12. She remarried, but her second husband just smoked, drank, and beat her. Her misery took a toll on her health. Later, she had an accident when driving a tractor to deliver goods and broke her collarbone.
When she had lost all hope, her parents recommended Falun Gong to her in 2011. She regained her health and even her injured shoulder recovered well. She took on a more positive outlook about life and became more open-minded.
Previous 4.5-Year Prison Term
Grateful for her mind and body improvement from Falun Gong, Ms. Zhang tried to share the information with others so that more people could benefit from the practice. Because of this simple wish, she was arrested on July 24, 2016, while giving away Falun Gong materials. After being kept at a brainwashing center for over 80 days, she was taken to Guiyang First Detention Center. Her arrest was approved on October 28.
The Huaxi District Court held a hearing of Ms. Zhang’s case on February 13, 2018, and sentenced her to 4.5 years weeks later on March 2. She appealed the verdict with the Guiyang City Intermediate Court, but presiding judge Zhang Xianghu ruled to uphold her original verdict on November 8, 2018. She was taken to the Guizhou First Woman’s Prison on January 8, 2019, and released in July 2020.
Related Reports:
Police, Procuratorate, and Court Violate Legal Procedures to Convict Falun Gong Practitioner
Practitioner Held at Brainwashing Center for 81 Days Before Approval of Arrest
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