(Minghui.org) Ms. Niu Guifang from Shenyang City was arrested by officers from Xinchengzijie Police Station on July 19, 2012. She was then put on trial at Shenbei New District Court on February 27, 2013. Her lawyers from Beijing provided abundant facts and evidence to prove their client's innocence, but she was still sentenced to three years in prison.
Ms. Niu appealed, and a hearing was held at Shenyang City Middle Court on May 27, 2013. She is currently held in Shenyang Detention Center.
The lawyers later went to over 30 institutions, including the Shenyang Procuratorate, Liaoning Provincial Procuratorate, Provincial People's Congress, Provincial Public Security Department, and the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, and sued those who have persecuted Ms. Niu. Those sued include: Jin Weimin, head of Shenbei New District Police Department; Hu Chengshan, chief prosecutor of Shenbei New District Procuratorate; Feng Yan, director of Shenbei New District Court; and police officers Hao Lianfeng and Wu Pihui. The authorities have yet to proceed with these lawsuits.
By the end of July 2013, Ms. Niu's older sister, Ms. Niu Guizhen, has appealed to officials at the Shenyang Procuratorate, Liaoning Provincial Supreme Procuratorate, Shenyang Middle Court, Shenyang People's Congress, Liaoning Provincial People's Congress, Shenyang Police Department, Liaoning Provincial Public Security Department, and various Political and Legal Affairs Committees in Shenyang. She has demanded that her younger sister be released. It's been over a month and she has yet to receive a response.
The following is the content of Ms. Niu Guizhen's appeal letter:
My name is Niu Guizhen. I am 64 years old and I am Niu Guifang's older sister. On the morning of May 27, I attended my sister's second trial at Shenyang City Middle Court. Two lawyers from Beijing explained that based on the Constitution, my sister has both the freedom to believe and promote that belief. Therefore, she is guilty of nothing.
Two months have passed. Not only is my sister still imprisoned, the money and properties confiscated by the police from her home have yet to be returned. Those who've tortured my sister are still at large.
My sister had kidney problems and arthritis before she practiced Falun Dafa. She was also very hot-tempered, fought often with her husband and did not get along with his family. After she began to practice, she became a different person. She was completely healthy, and she no longer had a temper. She cared greatly for us and did not quarrel anymore. She treated her in-laws kindly and our relatives often received her help. Her husband told me, “Guifang is so nice now. We don't fight and argue anymore!”
After the authorities began cracking down on Falun Gong, we wished to persuade her to stop practicing. However, seeing all of her positive changes, we didn’t know what to say.
Guifang was arrested on July 19, 2012. When I saw her at the trial in Shenbei New District Court on January 17, 2013, she was emaciated due to the torture she'd suffered. She'd lost over 40 pounds in half a year. I felt so sad. Our entire family wept. My sister is so kind and nice; what did she do to deserve this?
Before her first trial at Shenbei New District Court, the authorities gave us no official legal documents, search warrant, detention notice, arrest warrant or indictment. We still chose to proceed with the legal process. Even our lawyers said that the court officials violated numerous laws.
When officers from Xinchengzi Domestic Security Division, Xinchengzijie Police Station, Hushitai Police Station, and the people in the community were looking to arrest my sister, they broke into her home when no one was present. They searched her house and confiscated 12,000 yuan, a gold ring, a computer, digital camera and other personal belongings. After asking officers at Xinchengzi Police Station in Shenbei New District repeatedly to return the money, they denied having any of her property.
Our lawyer informed us that the police needed to have a search warrant when they went to my sister's home. In addition, my sister and one witness had to have been present. A list of all things confiscated from the house is required, and both witnesses must sign it. The police had committed multiple crimes, including robbery.
We know of the officers names who tortured my sister at Xinchengzijie Police Station in order to obtain a confession on September 2012 are: Gao Dawei and another with the first name Wu. They are from Shenbei New District Domestic Security Division.
My sister did nothing illegal. It was her life that has been seriously violated. Why is she the one incarcerated? Our entire family is deeply saddened by her case. As a result of this, she's missed her child's marriage and her husband drowns his sorrows in alcohol everyday.
My sister's property and money taken from her house must be returned. Those who've tortured her must be brought to justice. We demand that my sister be released immediately!
Petitioner Niu Guizhen
July 25, 2013
Related articles:
“Ms. Niu Guifang from Shenyang City Severely Beaten by Police” http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2013/1/26/137246.html
“Shenbei New District Court of Shenyang City Secretly Sentences Ms. Niu Guifang, Lawyer Files an Appeal”
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2013/3/15/138514.html
