67-Year-Old Liaoning Woman Sentenced to One Year for Her Faith, Daughter Files Complaints Against Perpetrators
(Minghui.org) A 67-year-old resident of Faku County, Liaoning Province, was sentenced to one year and fined 2,000 yuan on June 6, 2024, for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Regime since July 1999.
Ms. He Mingying
Ms. He Mingying, whose detention location is unknown, filed an appeal on June 14. While she is awaiting a ruling, her daughter filed complaints against all the officers, prosecutors, and judges involved in the case [whose names are mentioned in the rest of the article]. She demanded to hold them responsible for arresting, interrogating, indicting, and sentencing her mother without any legal basis. She also called for her mother’s immediate release and the return of all confiscated items.
The complaints were filed via the following channels: “12388” (the hotline for discipline inspection and supervision),“12337” (an online platform designated for reporting violations of discipline and law by police and judicial workers, run by the central Political and Legal Affairs Committee, which oversees the persecution of Falun Gong), “12389” (a telephone platform that the Ministry of Public Security uses to take complaints and reports from the public), “12309” (an online platform run by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate), and “12380” (a platform run by the Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party).
Arrest
Ms. He’s sentencing stemmed from her arrest on the afternoon of November 8, 2023, as soon as she boarded a train at the Shenyangbei Railway Station in Shenyang City (which oversees Faku County). Without showing their IDs or a search warrant, officers Chen Dongxu and Gao Xiyao searched her and confiscated her luggage. They did not offer an explanation for their action. They then took her to their Chezhan Police Station, which is affiliated with the railway station.
Under the directive of chief Zhang Ye (badge number 112633) and deputy chief Chang Song (badge number 113976), officers Li Jinyang and Qiu Dawei (+86-15940275366) interrogated Ms. He until past midnight. Officers Fan Zhen (+86-13889280512) from the Shenyang City Domestic Security Division was also present. They did not give Ms. He any food to eat. They also threatened to torture her if she did not cooperate with her.
Put on Bail and Indicted 4 Months Later
Ms. He was then given 15 days of criminal detention. The Hunnan District Procuratorate ruled on November 23, 2023, to not issue a formal arrest warrant citing insufficient evidence. Instead of releasing her unconditionally, officers Yu Yan (+86-13940359808) and Song Guangyao from the Shenyang City Domestic Security Division put her on bail that day. They also deceived her family into giving “confessions” that was later used as evidence against her.
The police took Ms. He back into custody on March 18, 2024, and the Hunnan District Procuratorate issued a formal arrest warrant of her four days later. Under the directive of Liu Hongli (chief prosecutor) and Zhao Dan (+86-24-26209151, director of the first division of the procuratorate), prosecutor He Mengyao (+86-24-26209515) indicted Ms. He on March 29.
Trial
The Hunnan District Court heard Ms. He’s case on May 16, 2024. During the trial, her lawyer and daughter, who served as her non-lawyer defender, both requested that the presiding judge, Hao Xiaoli (+86-24-84829140, +86-24-84829044, +86-24-84829859), and prosecutor He be recused from the case as they were not qualified to prosecute a case that targeted the defendant’s spiritual belief.
Hao rejected the request and also ignored their questions about whether Hunnan District had jurisdiction over the case, which took place in Shenyangbei Railway Station, which sits on the border of Shenhe District and Huanggu District. Wang Wenyan, president of the court, was also present. She sided with judge Hao in rejecting the defense’s requests.
Prosecutor He charged Ms. He with “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement,” a standard pretext used by the communist regime to frame Falun Gong practitioners. She, however, failed to provide any legal basis for the allegation. She also did not display any of the items used as the prosecution evidence. Judge Hao ignored the defense’s request to present the prosecution evidence in court and claimed that some of the items were not transportable from the procuratorate to the courthouse.
Without seeing the prosecution evidence, Ms. He’s defense was unable to verify any of it or exclude from the trial any inadmissible evidence.
Prosecutor He smeared Falun Gong when the defense refuted her allegation against their client. They argued that she failed to investigate the police-supplied evidence against their client and proceeded to charge their client for simply practicing Falun Gong.
One of the prosecution evidence mentioned was the Falun Gong books and informational materials confiscated from Ms. He’s luggage. Prosecutor He said that officers Zhang Wei and Qu Gaolei from the Shenyang City Domestic Security Division had authenticated the confiscated items as admissible prosecution evidence.
Ms. He’s defense argued that only an independent, third-party agency has the authority to examine and authenticate prosecution evidence. Additionally, no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong so its publications were totally lawful.
Petition signatures in support of Ms. He’s release.
Ms. He’s daughter also presented the signatures she collected from locals in support of her mother’s request. The petition read, “My mother He Mingying strove to be a good person by following Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, yet she is now facing indictment for upholding her faith. No law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. Prosecuting a good person like my mother is destroying the conscience and morality of our society. I call on kindhearted fellow citizens to testify to my mother’s uprightness and help secure her release.”
Judge Hao ignored the petitions. She sentenced Ms. He to one year with a 2,000-yuan fine on June 6, 2024.
Ms. He filed an appeal on June 14. Her husband, in his 70s, was devastated. He couldn’t eat or sleep well. He also became absent-minded sometimes.