(Minghui.org) Ms. Kou Rumin, who lives in the Chaoyang District, Beijing, was sentenced to one and a half years on April 22, 2024 for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Kou’s sentence stemmed from her arrest on July 28, 2022. Several officers from the Beijing Domestic Security Division broke into her home at 6 a.m. that day and confiscated her Falun Gong books, music player, DVD player, desk calendars, wall calendars, 2,500 yuan imprinted with Falun Gong messages (a way practitioners in China raise awareness of the persecution), and other valuables.
The police took Ms. Kou to an emergency medical service for a physical examination. She was found to have some heart and blood pressure issues and was deemed unfit for detention. The police released her on a one-year bail the following night and pressured her family into admitting her to a hospital even though she did not feel any discomfort. She was forced to stay in the hospital for eight days.
The Chaoyang District Procuratorate summoned Ms. Kou on July 21, 2023 to renew her one-year bail. They called again on August 16 and told her they were submitting her case to the Chaoyang District Court. She was indicted three days later.
The Chaoyang District Court docketed Ms. Kou’s case on August 21, 2023 and gave her a copy of her indictment and the procuratorate’s recommendation of sentencing her to 1-1.5 years. Clerk Chi of the court told her family that a hearing was to take place in one or two months.
Ms. Kou was later notified that her court date was set for 2 p.m. on October 31, 2023. The court, however, canceled the trial the day before. It was unclear when the hearing finally took place. Ms. Kou’s court-appointed lawyer was said to have defended her innocence because she did not harm anyone or society by practicing Falun Gong.
A court worker called Ms. Kou on April 18, 2024 and asked her to report to them in four days because they needed to verify something with her. The caller also asked her to tell her daughters about it so they could accompany her there. She said that her children were all busy with work so she went to the court on the morning of April 22 by herself without telling her family.
Shortly after, Ms. Kou’s older daughter Yun (alias) received a call from the court saying that Ms. Kou was undergoing a physical examination. Yun wanted to know why she was undergoing a physical examination, and the caller appeared surprised, “You didn’t know what’s going on (with your mother)?” When Yun said “no,” he hung up the phone without explaining what happened or revealing Ms. Kou’s whereabouts.
Yun then called the court-appointed lawyer and the lawyer said he hadn’t heard any updates from the court. Yun called the court many times but no one picked up the phone.
Just after 1 p.m. that day, a court bailiff called Yun to say that her mother was sentenced to one and a half years. Yun asked when her mother was convicted and the bailiff said, “Today (April 22, 2024).” She asked to see her mother and the bailiff said, “No, don’t come. You won’t be allowed to see your mother.” Yun reminded the bailiff that her mother was elderly and had health problems. He replied that they had hospitals to take care of any medical issues that may arise.
At that point, Yun heard her mother’s voice in the background, “I haven’t been given anything to eat yet.” Yun was infuriated, “It’s past lunch time and she is an elderly and frail woman...” The bailiff hung up before Yun could finish her sentence.
Yun then called the lawyer to tell him about her mother’s prison sentence. The lawyer said he still hadn’t received a copy of the verdict.
This is not the first time that Ms. Kou has been targeted since she began practicing Falun Gong in 1998. In 2001, she was sentenced to a forced labor camp; the length of the sentence is unknown. She was sentenced to 2.5 years of forced labor in September 2006. During her second labor camp detention, she was subjected to various forms of abuse, including sleep deprivation, electric shocks, force feeding and forced labor. Prior to her latest persecution, she was repeatedly harassed by the police.
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