(Minghui.org) Ms. Hu Rongying was illegally sentenced to four years in prison for her faith in Falun Gong in August 2013 by the Jiyuan City Court in Henan Province. She appealed to the Jiyuan City Intermediate Court soon afterward.
The Intermediate Court held a hearing at 3:30 p.m. on September 11, 2013. Ms. Hu's lawyer from Beijing defended her and entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf.
The chief judge and prosecutor interrupted the lawyer's defense many times during the trial. The lawyer had experienced the same interruptions during the first trial.
Ms. Hu's lawyer stated during the trial: “It is appalling that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has upheld the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong for so many years. The juridical law is used to suppress and persecute those who have differing beliefs. This has, in fact, violated the law, violated justice and is against people's hearts.
“Whatever the name officials use to detain the litigants and whoever is involved in the persecution, they are misusing their power, neglecting their duties, committing illegal imprisonment, and fabricating false evidence. This also constitutes a crime of bending the law for selfish reasons and persecuting freedom of religious belief. Therefore, they must receive severe punishment and be brought to justice.”
In the end, the lawyer said to the court: “This persecution is similar to the persecution that took place during the Cultural Revolution.” [Editor's note: The Cultural Revolution is a sociopolitical movement initiated by the Chinese communist regime from 1966 to 1976, which resulted in millions of deaths.]
At the conclusion of the appeal trial, Ms. Hu's lawyer and her family handed in a letter to Wang Tao, president of the Jiyuan City Intermediate Court, and Ma Xiudao, attorney general of the Jiyuan Procuratorate. The letter protested Ms. Hu's unlawful verdict.
Background of the Case
Ms. Hu Rongying, in her 60s, previously suffered from cancer. When she started to practice Falun Gong, the cancer disappeared. She has thus felt compelled to tell people that Falun Gong is good, from her own experience.
In October 2012, Ms. Hu was arrested by the local police when she distributed informational materials about Falun Gong in Nanrui Village, Lilin Town, Jiyuan City. Officials from the Jiyuan 610 Office, Jiyuan Court and Procuratorate colluded to sentence her to prison soon after the arrest. They interfered with her lawyer and didn't send him any notice of the trial date.
The lawyer found out the date after making inquiries to the judge. The trial was held on August 13, 2013. Six practitioners, including Ms. Hu, were tried by the Jiyuan City Court on this day.
Ms. Hu's defense lawyer made an eloquent plea on her behalf in court and clarified that practicing Falun Gong is not a crime. He also noted that the crime Ms. Hu was being charged with was mentioned nowhere in the law and was thus invalid.
The judge interrupted the lawyer 16 times, but he was undaunted and insisted on completing his statement. In the end, the judge called for a recess.
Ms. Hu Rongying was sentenced to four years in prison. She appealed to the higher court immediately after the verdict was issued.
