(Minghui.org) Two Falun Gong practitioners from Nong'an County, Jilin Province, were secretly tried in the Nong'an County Court on June 1 without their families' or their lawyers' knowledge.
Mr. Wang Sanheng and Mr. Wang Tao were both arrested in May 2014 while they were distributing literature about Falun Gong and the persecution. They were released on bail in August 2014 after being forced to write statements to renounce Falun Gong.
Mr. Wang Sanheng was arrested again on April 7, 2016, and taken to the Nong'an County Detention Center. Shortly afterward, Mr. Wang Tao was arrested and detained in the Changchun City Third Detention Center.
Both practitioners' families went to the courthouse to request the men’s release on May 31, 2016, but were unable to see the judge in charge. They hired defense lawyers the same day.
Both practitioners were secretly tried the very next day. The prosecutor recommended that each man be incarcerated for four to seven years. Both of them pleaded not guilty and nullified the statements they had signed renouncing Falun Gong. No verdicts were announced at the time.
Mr. Wang Tao's lawyer finally saw him on June 2, and Mr. Wang Sanheng's lawyer met with him the day after. The lawyers heard about what happened during the trial from their clients.
Both practitioners' families went to the courthouse to look for the judges for more information on the trial, but no officials would meet with them.