(Minghui.org) A woman from Shenyang was secretly sentenced to three years in prison for practicing Falun Gong. A judge handed down the sentence on March 13 at the detention center where she had been illegally detained since her arrest in April 2014. Neither her lawyer nor family were present at sentencing.
Ms. Guan Xiumei was arrested on April 24, 2014 by police from the Heping District Domestic Security Division. Police submitted her case to the Procuratorate office for approval of her arrest in September. The case was rejected due to lack of evidence. However, her case was re-submitted and eventually transferred to the Huanggu Court for trial in December 2014.
Court Official Demands Firing of Attorney
Ms. Guan's family hired a lawyer from Beijing to defend her. During a hearing on February 10, a Huanggu Court official asked her to fire her lawyer.
“If you fire the attorney, you can go home for Chinese New Year,” Ms. Guan was told. But she refused.
Two days later, she was taken back to the courtroom. This time, the court officials demanded that her family convince her to say “I will not practice Falun Gong anymore” into a voice recorder. Mr. Guan refused to say these words.
Ms. Guan has developed serious health issues at Shenyang No. 1 Detention Center. She has had a severe headache, which causes her to lose consciousness frequently. She was diagnosed with an insufficient blood supply to her head. She has lost over 14 kg (30 pounds) since she was detained.
Ms. Guan and her lawyer filed an appeal at the People's Intermediate Court of Shenyang City.
Related report: Practitioner Ms. Guan Xiumei in Serious Condition
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2015/5/1/修大法重病除-好人被冤判三年-308279.html
Category: Accounts of Persecution
