(Clearwisdom.net) Note: The following is an abridged version of a more detailed article that appeared on the minghui.ca website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom.net).
In the beginning of April, 2007, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Supreme Court sentenced practitioners Ms. Zhang Yanping and her three sisters, along with five other people. Their sentences were executed locally. All practitioners were charged with "plotting to overthrow the government" and they were found guilty of "disturbing the execution of law". Here are their sentences:
Ms. Zhang Yanyun was sentenced to six, Ms. Zhang Yanping to five Ms. Zhang Yanlin to five, Ms. Zhang Xiuzhen and Ms. Zhao Xuemei to four, and Ms. Yu Yuejuan was sentenced to three years. However, since Ms. Yu had been sentenced to three years and four years of probation for practicing Falun Gong, and her term was not over yet, her sentence was extended for a year and her total term is 4 years; Ms. Yang Yingjie was sentenced to three years; Ms. Zheng Xinxiu and Mr. Li Gang (not a practitioner, Ms. Zhang Xiuzhen's son) were sentenced to three years with four years of probation.
Between March and August of 2006, Yue Jiangmin (male), Huang Tai (male) and other officials from the Public Security Division of Changji Prefecture Police Department arrested dozens of practitioners and their family members.
Among them were four sisters, Zhang Xiuzhen, Zhang Yanping, Zhang Yanyun and Zhang Yanlin. By August 2006, the Changji Prefecture Procuratorate had tried to charge fourteen practitioners with attempting to "overthrow the government". Due to lack of evidence, charges had to be dropped against five of the practitioners. On November 2, and November 3, 2006, the Changji Prefecture Court held a hearing on eight practitioners and one unrelated person, charging them with trying to "overthrow the government". Due to insufficient evidence, no verdict was reached and their cases were transferred to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Supreme Court.
In January 2007, Wang Lequan (male), the Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Zhang Xiuming (male) and Zhu Haicang (male), secretaries of the Political and Judiciary Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, jointly proposed a plan of "attacking three target groups" during the Political Consultation Conference of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. During the meeting, Rozi-Simayi, the Procurator-General of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Procuratorate took the stand of "exerting the highest pressure" towards the "three target groups". Maimaiti-Yusupu, the President of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Supreme Court also took a stand of "toughest sentences" towards the "three target groups".
Many of the sentenced practitioners decided to appeal.
