(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Chen Xinye and Mr. Han Chunlong were illegally arrested and subjected to interrogation using torture. On April 12, Zhenxing District Court put them on trial, and judge Tao Zhanhua instructed two court police officers to drive the defense lawyers out of the court room, saying, “So be it. Because you didn't show due respect for me, I won't show you any, either.” “What violation of the law? So long as the Communist Party is in power, I'll never bear any responsibility.”
First appearance in court
The trial began at 9:30 a.m. on April 12. Mr. Han Chunlong told the court that after he was abducted, he was interrogated using torture. Police officers Li Xihua, Xiao Qiang, and others beat him; Xiao Qiang poured pepper water on his face; and they forced him to put a fingerprint on a blank piece of paper. Judge Tao Zhanhua abruptly stopped him, and the prosecutor also objected to Mr. Han's statement, saying that what he said was irrelevant. When the defense lawyer challenged the prosecutor, saying, “This touched upon an issue that the police department sought evidence by illegal means. Why do you object to it?” Judge Tao Zhanhua's reaction was to instruct two court police officers to drive the two defense lawyers out of the courtroom.
Second hearing
On April 26, Mr. Han Chunlong's family members and the lawyers once again appeared in court. To their great surprise, judge Tao Zhanhua openly sneered at the law and was extremely arrogant. The following is a transcript of the conversation:
Mr. Han's relative: “We'll continue to engage Chen Xinye and Han Chunlong's two defense lawyers.”
Tao Zhanhua: “No, you can't.”
Han's relative: “We paid to engage lawyers for Han Chunlong. Why do you disallow it?”
Tao Zhanhua: “They [referring to the lawyers] disrupted the order of the court.”
Chen Xinye's defense lawyer: “According the Supreme Court, lawyers, after amending their mistakes, can still defend their clients in court, let alone that Han Chunlong's lawyer did not disrupt anything.”
Tao Zhanhua: “No, he can't, including you. If I don't want you to speak and you don't listen to my instructions, all of you will be cleared out (of the court).”
Han Chunlong's lawyer: “What do you mean by 'listening to your instructions and not listening to your instructions?'”
Tao Zhanhua: “When I tell you not to speak, you should stop. You should not argue with the prosecutors. That's the way we do things here. If you want to make a defense in court, then you must listen to me. If not, you will be cleared out (of court)”.
Han Chunlong's lawyer: “There is no such regulation in the Constitution.”
Tao Zhanhua: “Who cares [if the Constitution] has no such regulations. So be it. Because you didn't show due respect for me, I won't show you any, either.” “That day you didn't behave yourself. Why are you challenging the prosecutors?”
Han Chunlong's lawyer: “It's only normal that I challenge the prosecutors. It's inappropriate for you forbid me to present a defense in court because of this. It's against the law.”
Tao Zhanhua: “I don't care if it's inappropriate or against the law. So long as the Communist Party is in power, I won't bear any responsibility.”
Upon hearing what Tao Zhanhua said, most people would ask: "Could these words come from a judge? Could this possibly happen?" True, such things would not happen in a normal society. But in China under the rule of the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP), farces such as this happen every day.
Background
The communist regime started the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999. Jiang Zemin issued a genocidal policy on Falun Gong: “Ruin their reputations; bankrupt them financially, destroy them physically.” Court officials at various levels have followed Jiang's policies and sentenced Falun Gong practitioners at will. When practitioners and their defense lawyers pointed out their criminal conduct, they have continued to abuse, threaten, and beat the lawyers and deprived practitioners of their right to appeal in court. It is due to the backing and instigation of the CCP behind the scenes that these government personnel dare to totally ignore the law.
In the last 14 years, a large number of Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally sentenced to imprisonment under similar circumstances. As long as the Communist Party exists, there will never be any "rule of law" in the true sense in China.
