Prosecutor Bars Falun Gong Practitioner’s Lawyer from Reviewing His Case Documents, Indicts Him a Day Later

(Minghui.org) Mr. Miao Zhongjun, a 66-year-old Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province resident, stood trial at the Lianhu District Court on March 23, 2023 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

After denying his lawyer’s request to review his case documents, prosecutor Zhao Shiyuan of Lianhu District Procuratorate threatened to give Mr. Miao a heavy term because he refused to plead guilty.

Mr. Miao was arrested on May 10, 2022 and had his arrest approved two months later. When his lawyer went to the Lianhu District Procuratorate to review his case document, prosecutor Zhao questioned him on whether he signed a representation agreement with Mr. Miao’s family, whether he provided a receipt of their payment to him, and whether he notified his local justice bureau of his representation of a Falun Gong practitioner with the local justice bureau.

Zhao added that Mr. Miao’s case involved state secrets and she had to ask for permission from her supervisor, before she could allow the lawyer to review his case documents. She refused to provide her phone number to the lawyer, saying that she would contact him if she had any updates. She also asked for personal information of Mr. Miao’s family member who hired the lawyer. The lawyer refused to answer her question and said it was illegal for her to ask for private information on his client.

After leaving Zhao’s office, the lawyer filed a complaint against her, but to no avail. Zhao indicted Mr. Miao and moved his case to the Lianhu District Court on the next day, without allowing the lawyer to review his case documents.

The Lianhu District Procuratorate and Lianhu District Court have been designated by the Political and Legal Affairs Committee to handle Falun Gong cases in Xi’an City since 2014. Many Falun Gong practitioners have been convicted by them, including Ms. Xiao Chunhong, Ms. Liu Caixian and Ms. Song Qiuxia.

Perpetrators’ contact information:

Quan Borong (权波蓉), judge of Lianhu District Court: [phone], [phone], [phone]Li Wei (李维), judge’s assistant: [phone]Zhao Shiyuan (赵诗媛), prosecutor of Lianhu District Procuratorate: [phone]

(More perpetrators’ contact information is available in the original Chinese article.)

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Shaanxi Man Stands Trial for His Faith in Falun Gong

Shaanxi Man Faces Prosecution for His Faith, Elderly Parents in Distress