(Minghui.org) Just as she boarded the van at 9 a.m. that would take her to court, Ms. Li Xiulin fainted.
At the court, emergency assistance noted her high blood pressure and possible heart problems. Ambulance technicians took her to a room to deliver oxygen and medication for her condition. Her siblings and son, who had come for the trial, were not allowed to be with her.
Ms. Li and Ms. Zhou Fenglian, both 62, were reported and arrested on May 5, 2014 for distributing literature exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. Following their arrest, police officers in Shanxi Province beat them and ransacked their homes.
Ms. Li and Ms. Zhou were then taken to the Datong Detention Center. At separate trials on December 19, 2014, they were each given nine-month prison sentences.
Trial for Ms. Li
December 19, 2014 was a cold day at the Railway Transport Courthouse in Shanxi Province. Dozens of guards stood near the court entrance.
More than 50 people gathered in the early morning to attend the trial, including Ms. Li's family, friends, and other practitioners.
Ms. Li's trial was not in the courtroom itself, but in the Procuratorate office adjacent to the courtroom. It was announced as being open to the public, yet only three members of her family were allowed in. They were required to have their IDs photographed.
Ms. Li regained consciousness about 30 minutes after the trial began. Her attorney stated: “The prosecutor cites publications from her house as evidence against her. There is no legal basis for arresting someone who has distributed such information.”
Ms. Li also spoke in her own defense, stating that she returned to health after she started practicing Falun Gong.
The judge sentenced Ms. Li to nine months in prison at the hearing, which lasted less than an hour.
Trial for Ms. Zhou Fenglian
The trial for Ms. Zhou Fenglian was held at 3 p.m. the same day. More than 50 people waited to attend, but only three family members were allowed in for this supposedly open trial.
Evidence presented by the two prosecutors included confiscated books on Falun Gong's teachings, some publications, CDs, a computer, and a cell phone. They used a common tactic, charging her with “using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement.”
Ms. Zhou's attorney refuted the charges and pointed out that there was no legal basis for such a trial.
Ms. Zhou looked pale and her hair had turned gray. She defended herself with tears in her eyes. “I used to suffer from many health problems. I became healthy and my spirit was uplifted after I started to practice Falun Gong, by following the principles of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.' Because of Falun Gong, my husband and I could get along with each other.”
When Ms. Zhou saw the confiscated Falun Gong books presented as evidence, she bowed her head three times in their direction. She asked that they be returned to her.
Ms. Zhou's attorney said, “It is a constitutional right to believe in and practice Falun Gong. That is a universally recognized right. This court has no right to try her for that.”
When he tried to explain what Falun Gong was, the prosecutors stopped him.
The attorney continued his defense. “The Falun Gong books and weekly publications are her personal property, and part of her cultivation and belief system. They cannot be used to bring charges against her.”
Despite the attorney's efforts, Ms Zhou was sentenced to nine months in prison.
Parties Involved in the Persecution:
Office of the court: +86-352-7124158, +86-352-7124138Zhang Zhiyong (张志勇), prosecutor with Datong Railway Transport Procuratorate: +86-13834457763 (Cell), +86-352-7123738 (Office)
