Computer Engineer Ms. Xiang Xiaoyan from Harbin City Illegally Sentenced to Three Year Prison Term

Name: Xiang Xiaoyan (向晓燕)
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Address: Harbin City
Occupation: Computer Engineer at the Heilongjiang Computer Center
Date of Most Recent Arrest: December 21, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Heilongjiang Women's Prison (黑龙江女子监狱)
City: Harbin
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing, imprisonment, home ransacked, detention

(Minghui.org) The illegal trial of Ms. Xiang Xiaoyan ended with the defense attorney's sound argument and a not-guilty plea. While exiting the courthouse, someone commented, “Anybody would know that the verdict is unjust if she is convicted.” Devoid of conscience, the judge sentenced computer engineer Ms. Xiang Xiaoyan to three years in prison. She was taken to the Heilongjiang Women's Prison on March 13, 2013.

Ms. Xiang, 35, is an engineer at the Heilongjiang Computer Center. She began to practice Falun Gong in 1997 and has benefited both mentally and physically. She follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and strives to be a good person. Because of her belief, she was arrested and detained at the Harbin No. 2 Detention Center for a month at the beginning of 2002.

Since February 20, 2011, police officers from the Zhujiang Road Police Station and officials from the Zhujiang District Resident Community Committee have been frequently going to Ms. Xiang's workplace to harass her. Through her co-workers, they discovered where she lived and notified the Gexin Street Police Station officials. Police officers from the Gexin Street Police Station and the Nangang District Police Station and officials from the Gexin District Resident Community Committee also went to her home and workplace separately to harass her.

As soon as Ms. Xiang got home after work on December 21, 2011, a few plainclothes policemen appeared at her door. They pushed their way into her home and started to comb through and confiscate her personal belongings. They didn't reveal their identities until her husband arrived home. It turned out they were plainclothes police officers from the Nangang District Public Security Division. Two of the officers were Zhang Xumin and Liu Xiwei.

Ms. Xiang was then taken to and detained at the Harbin No. 2 Detention Center. Her family hired two lawyers to defend her. Zhou Songbin, the director of the Nangang District Domestic Security Division and Fan Xiangrui, the person in charge of this case tried their best to prevent the lawyers from following through with legal proceedings and visiting Ms. Xiang. Lawyer Jiang Tianyong intended to defend Ms. Xiang; however, the officials involved with the case publicly stated that even if lawyer Jiang came to Harbin City, they would not let him defend Ms. Xiang or plead on her behalf in court.

After having been detained for nine months, Ms. Xiang was tried in the Harbin Nangang Court on August 22, 2012. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials did not dare to have an open hearing. Only five of Ms. Xiang's family members and friends were allowed to attend. The hearing was held at the Wanggang Township Court, which was far from the downtown area.

During the hearing, Ms. Xiang's lawyers pointed out that it was not against the law to practice Falun Gong, that it was legal to possess and download Falun Gong truth-clarification materials, and the criminal charge of “utilizing a cult organization to undermine law enforcement” was not valid. Therefore, Ms. Xiang should be acquitted and released immediately.

The judge was speechless and couldn't respond to the lawyer's defense. The people at the hearing were all very quiet and listened carefully; no one interrupted. Without notifying any of her family members, Ms. Xiang was secretly sentenced to three years in prison. She is currently detained at the Heilongjiang Women's Prison, Ward No. 9.

Parties that participated in persecuting Ms. Xiang:
Zhao Xin, judge from the Nangang District Court who illegally sentenced Ms. Xiang: [phone] (Office), [e-mail] (Email)
Xun Jixian, President of the Nangang District Court: [phone] (Office), [phone] (Cell)
Pi Dongying, Executive board, former Presiding Judge of Court No. 2: [phone] (Cell)
Cai Juan, Executive Vice President: [phone] (Office), [phone] (Office)
Chang Jigang, Presiding Judge: [phone] (Office), [phone] (Cell)
Jiang Yanshun, Supervising Executive Vice President: [phone] (Office), [phone] (Cell)