(Minghui.org) When Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Qiang Mengsheng was illegally tried on February 10, 2014, the prosecutor used his imprisonment in a forced labor camp several years prior as “evidence” against him. The defense lawyer argued that forced labor camps were illegal, had been abolished, and that his client's prior internment should not be used as evidence to persecute him again.
Mr. Qiang had hung a banner in his orchard that read, “Falun Gong is Good.” The village officials reported him and had him arrested. Mr. Qiang has been detained for several months.
His family recently hired a lawyer to defend him. The trial took place at the Weibin District Court, in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. Mr. Qiang pleaded not guilty and demanded an immediate release.
The sentence will be announced at a later date.
