(Minghui.org) The Wanghua District Court in Fushun City, Liaoning Province held a trial on July 9, 2013, for Falun Gong practitioners Zhang Deyan, Sun Haifeng, Mu Guodong, Wang Yumei, and Wang Guihua. Ms. Zhang's family hired a lawyer. The lawyer's defense argument was: It is legal to believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Trial Held in Detention Center
Several patrol police cars were outside the detention center in Nangou, Fushun City on the morning of July 9. At around 9:00 a.m., cars from the Wanghua District Court and Procuratorate arrived at the detention center. Several Falun Gong practitioners also came to the detention center.
The detention center began letting people in to observe the court session right at 9:00 a.m. These people included the families of the five Falun Gong practitioners, other Falun Gong practitioners, as well as others. The court had a limit on the number of observers, and at the entrance, there were police checking the observers' permits and doing security checks, including body searches. A police officer said Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xiaoming was wearing a watch that had a recording function and a domestic security police officer took him away.
Judge: “Don't Talk to Me About the Law” Lawyer: “Are We Supposed to Just Tell Jokes”
After the judge announced the beginning of the court session, the five Falun Gong practitioners were brought in. As a form of protest, three of them refused to wear the prison uniform.
During the court session, there was an interesting conversation between the judge and Ms. Zhang's lawyer. The judge said, “Don't talk to me about the law!” The lawyer was shocked and asked her, “If we don't talk about the law, are we supposed to just tell jokes?”
Ms. Zhang was placed last of the five practitioners in the trial. When the judge asked her if she would plead guilty, she replied very firmly, “No!”
When Ms. Zhang was arrested on April 25, 2012, she was an attractive woman with all black hair. Now a year later, all of her hair has turned white. When a girl from her family saw how much Ms. Zhang had changed, she couldn't help but cry.
Lawyer: It is legal to believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
The lawyer defended Ms. Zhang with well constructed arguments: 1) People have freedom of belief and China's laws do not state that it is illegal to believe in Falun Gong. 2) Falun Gong practitioners do not violate any laws in their belief and thus cannot be judged as breaking any laws. It is legal to believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. 3) The computers and cell phones that were removed from Ms. Zhang's home should be returned to her.
The judge said, “There were a dozen cell phones found in Zhang Deyan's home and there was Falun Gong content in the cell phones.” The lawyer said, “I have over 20 cell phones and they have Falun Gong content in them. Do you want to see them?” The judge didn't know what to say.
Ms. Zhang's lawyer also told a story about Wang Yumei. Ms. Wang was once stabbed three times by someone, and the other party was ordered to pay 150,000 yuan. However, Ms. Wang only accepted 30,000 yuan. The judge said, “Can someone like that disobey the law?” The judge cut off him before he finished telling the story, “You are Zhang Deyan's lawyer.” But the lawyer insisted, saying, “All these cases are related.”
Brief Accounts of Other Falun Gong Practitioners in the Court Sessions
Sun Haifeng: The Procuratorate said that he has three hundred Shen Yun DVDs. But these Shen Yun DVDs reflect the five thousand years of traditional Chinese culture and history. Does the Communist regime want to put the five thousand years of Chinese civilization on trial?
Wang Yumei was in Mr. Sun's home at the time of the arrest, and because she was also a Falun Gong practitioner, she was arrested along with Mr. Sun.
Mu Guodong: The Procuratorate said they found Falun Gong books and MP3 players in his home. These are all for his personal beliefs and are not for hurting others. The lawyer said, “Falun Gong practitioners always think of others first, how can they not obey the laws?”
Wang Guihua had rectal tumors before she began practicing Falun Gong. The condition was cured after she began practicing. When the judge asked her whether she would plead guilty, she said she would not, and that she was a cultivator, validating Dafa with her personal experience... how could that be illegal?
During the court session, all the Falun Gong practitioners were charged with “Using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement.” However, during the entire trial, neither the judge nor people from Procuratorate could point out which "law enforcement" the Falun Gong practitioners undermined.
Outside the court, Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xiaoming was taken to the Guchengzi Police Station, where he was searched. He was then released unconditionally and returned to the crowd outside of the court session.
Nangou Detention Center in Fushun
Police cars used for the court session
