(Minghui.org) A court in Fujian Province tried Ms. Lin Meifang and Ms. Zhang Shuilian on October 29, 2015 without notifying their lawyers and family members. Both women had been arrested for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual practice persecuted in China by the communist regime.
Ms. Li's lawyer wrote a letter to the Gulou District Procuratorate and the Gulou District Court, demanding to rectify the legal violation and hold the relevant parties accountable.
Zhuo Jianwei, the judge presiding over Ms. Lin Meifang's case, refused her lawyer's appeal and claimed that the lawyer's license had expired. The Gulou District Court ignored the lawyer's letter.
The court did not deliver the prosecution letter to Ms. Lin before the trial date, a violation of legal procedure. Judge Zhuo claimed that her lawyer's license was expired at the start of the court proceedings, that her lawyer could not defend her, and that she had to find a new lawyer.
When Ms. Lin refused to hire a new lawyer, Judge Zhuo ordered for the trial to proceed. Ms. Lin thus did not have legal representation.
Perpetrators' contact information:Fuzhou City Gulou District Court:Zuo Jianwei (卓建伟), judge: +86-412-59187567241Fuzhou City Gulou District Procuratorate:Yan Mengcan (严孟灿), attorney: +86-412-59188370501
