(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhu Yumei was tried in September 2013 and sentenced to a three and a half year prison term. Ms. Zhu didn't accept the verdict and appealed to the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate Court. The judge from the intermediate court went to the detention center and met Ms. Zhu in person.
The first trial against Ms. Zhu was held at the Shanghai Pudong New Area Court on September 26, 2013. The Shanghai Pudong New Area Procuratorate was in charge of prosecuting Ms. Zhu. Procurators Pang Zheng and Pan Li, chief judge Xiao Bo, and judges Wang Meiling and Shi Yaohui were present at the trial.
The prosecution charged Ms. Zhu with Article 300 of the criminal law, which is “using cult organizations to sabotage law enforcement.” Ms. Zhu's attorney asked the prosecutors to show the clause or article of the law that states Falun Gong is a cult and which laws Ms. Zhu had sabotaged.
Chief judge Xiao Bo also asked the prosecutors to show such evidence. Since there is no legal basis for such a charge, they were unable to respond.
Because the 610 Office pulls the strings in such cases, in the end the court supported the prosecutors and sentenced Ms. Zhu to prison. Their legal basis was still Article 300 of the criminal law and a “judicial interpretation” on the part of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Procuratorate. Both Ms. Zhu Yumei and her attorney's defense arguments were ignored.
This was the first time that chief judge Xiao Bo had handled a Falun Gong practitioner's case. Apparently embarrassed by this injustice, he lowered his head and couldn't face Ms. Zhu's family.
Shi Yaohui, however, has sentenced Falun Gong practitioners many times, and it was he who read the verdict sentencing Ms. Zhu.
Earlier report:
Ms. Zhu Yumei Sentenced to Prison
