(Minghui.org) A man in Donggang City, Liaoning Province, stood trial on October 16, 2026, for his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Pan Qiang was arrested on May 25, 2026, after the police discovered that he had applied self-adhesive stickers bearing Falun Gong messages on public walls. His wife, who does not practice Falun Gong, was also arrested and detained for one week. The arrests were ordered by the Donggang City Domestic Security Office and carried out by the Xiangyang Police Station and Huayuan Police Station.
Judge Tian Xiaofei from the Zhen’an District Court presided over the trial on October 16. She asked Mr. Pan whether he had any recusal requests. He replied that both she and prosecutor Wang Cong should remove themselves from the case because they are members of the Chinese Communist Party.
Judge Tian called a short recess. When the hearing resumed, she announced that Mr. Pan’s recusal request was denied. He raised his hand to testify against the arresting officers who dragged him by the handcuff for over ten meters during the arrest. His wrists still showed marks of injury nearly five months later.
Ms. Pan’s 82-year-old mother, who served as his non-lawyer defender, also testified against the police for barring her and the local lawyer she hired for him from visiting Mr. Pan at the Dandong City Detention Center. She later hired a Beijing lawyer surnamed Zhang, who was not allowed to visit her son until the lawyer filed multiple complaints. See the related report for details.
During the trial, lawyer Zhang asked Mr. Pan about the police brutality during the arrest. Mr. Pan said he reported it to prosecutor Wang when the latter deposed him at the detention center. Wang suddenly cut lawyer Zhang off without judge Tian’s permission.
Lawyer Zhang protested Wang’s violation of court procedures. Wang, however, kept interrupting him.
Instead of disciplining prosecutor Wang, judge Tian halted the hearing before cross-examination could be completed. It was unclear when the trial would resume.
Liaoning Man Faces Indictment for His Faith, Denied Visits with His Lawyer and Mother