Tsinghua University Alumni Chu Tong and Wang Weiyu Secretly Sentenced to Long Prison Terms

(Clearwisdom.net) Practitioners from Tsinghua University Chu Tong and Wang Weiyu have been secretly sentenced to prison by the People's Court of Chaoyang District in Beijing. Ms. Chu Tong has been sentenced to eleven years and Mr. Wang Weiyu eight years. They may appeal their sentences; meanwhile the situation about the torture they suffered needs to be investigated further.

Agents from the National Security Bureau abducted Chu Tong and Wang Weiyu in August of 2002. According to new information, they have been illegally detained and tortured at various places, including the "Governed by Law Training Center," "Fengtai Detention Center" and "Chaoyang District Detention Center."

On January 9, 2004, sixteen months after their arrest, the People's Court of Chaoyang District put them on trial. Because the news about their trial was exposed on the Minghui website in advance, rescue efforts from overseas greatly affected the proceedings. The day before the trial, the court suddenly changed the location (it was learned that the location was temporarily changed to Shuangqiao Court near Chaoyang Detention Center). After the trial, the court delayed the announcement of its verdict on purpose, only releasing it recently in an attempt to cover up the injustices.

Before the trial, at least fifteen practitioners from Tsinghua University had been sentenced to prison. They are:

Ms. Bai Rongchun (sentenced to 13 years in prison)

Ms. Yao Rui (sentenced to 12 years in prison)

Ms. Liu Zhimei (sentenced to 12 years in prison)

Mr. Meng Jun (sentenced to 10 years in prison)

Mr. Wang Xin (sentenced to 10 years in prison)

Ms. Dong Yanhong (sentenced to 5 years in prison)

Ms. Ma Yan (sentenced to 5 years in prison)

Mr. Yu Ping (sentenced to 4 years in prison)

Ms. Yu Jia (sentenced to 3.5 years in prison)

Mr. Liu Wenyu (sentenced to 3 years in prison)

Mr. Lin Yang (sentenced to 3 years in prison)

Mr. Li Yanfang (details unknown)

Ms. Li Chunyan (details unknown)

Mr. Huang Kui (details unknown)

Ms. Jiang Yuxia (details unknown)

At least one other practitioner by the name of Yuan Jiang was tortured to death, while at least eighteen other practitioners were sentenced to forced labor. Many students, teachers and staff members have been expelled, detained and put through forced brainwashing. Many others have been forced to leave home to avoid further persecution.

"The group of evil political scoundrels has never followed the law in dealing with Dafa disciples" (From "Look at Things with Righteous Thoughts," Essentials for Further Advancement II)

The sentence of the three practitioners from Tsinghua University mentioned at the beginning of the article is another example of the Jiang regime's willful violation of the law:

1. During the period spanning more than a year from August of 2002 until the end of 2003 when the case was formally submitted to the People's Court of Chaoyang District in Beijing, nobody had any information about where Chu Tong and Wang Weiyu were being detained, what charges were brought against them, or whether they were being tortured and abused either physically or mentally. The National Security Bureau, Public Security Bureau, and the Court all refused to provide a lawful explanation.

   According to inside sources, some practitioners were detained at the Beijing "Governed by Law Training Center" and were subjected to forced brainwashing for several months. However, this detainment was defined as "House Arrest;" therefore, it is neither considered to be the serving of a sentence, nor the illegal extension of detention. This phenomenon is quite widespread during the detainment of Dafa practitioners.

   According to the "People's Republic of China's Law of Criminal Procedure" articles 124, 126, 127 and 128, the maximum period of detention while one particular criminal case is under investigation is seven months. Detention exceeding seven months is absolutely considered to be excessive.

   According to a document jointly issued on November 12, 2003 by the Supreme Court, the Supreme Procuratorate, and the Public Security Bureau, and titled "Notice Regarding Strict Enforcement of the Law of Criminal Procedure and Prevention of Excessive Detention," the person who is held responsible for excessive detention in severe cases is considered to be guilty of abuse of power. He is to be punished by law and can be sentenced to seven years in prison in accordance with criminal law Article 397.

2. The People's Court of Chaoyang District claimed that the trial for the above-mentioned three practitioners was open to the public. However, the day before the trial, they urgently changed the location. According to Article 151 of the "People's Republic of China's Law of Criminal Procedure," for all public trials, information including the details of the case, the name of the defendant, as well as the time and location of the trial need to be announced at least three days in advance.
3. The trial began on January 9, 2004 and the verdict was not announced until almost four months later. According to Article 168 of the "People's Republic of China's Law of Criminal Procedure," the maximum time allowed between the end of a trial and the announcement of the verdict is two and a half months.
4. Chu Tong and Wang Weiyu were subjected to forced brainwashing.

Such acts of torture severely violate Articles 238, 248, and 251 of the "People's Republic of China's Criminal Law"(Reference 1) .

In addition to the effort to rescue Tsinghua University alumni, we call on more people all over the world to become aware of the situation of Chinese intellectuals who practice Falun Gong being severely tortured during the persecution launched by Jiang's regime. We also hope all fellow practitioners and kind-hearted people work together to end the persecution.

Reference 1: "People's Republic of China Criminal Law"

Article 238: Illegal detention or deprivation of freedom by other means is punishable by less than three years imprisonment in a detention center, in custody, or by deprivation of political rights. Severe cases that involve beatings or humiliation will be subject to harsher punishment.... Governmental staff members who commit the first three crimes will receive harsher punishment based on the corresponding laws.

Article 248: Regarding beatings and physical punishment committed in prisons or detention centers, severe cases will receive less than three years sentence in a prison or detention center; Extreme cases are be punishable between three to ten years imprisonment. Cases causing injury or death receive harsher punishments based on Articles 232 and 234. Incitement by prison guards to have one group of criminals beat up or physically abuse another group of criminals will receive the same punishment as stated above.

Article 251: Governmental staff members who illegally deprive a citizen's freedom of religious belief and who violate the customs of minorities, severe cases will be punishable by under two years sentence to either a prison or labor camp.