(Minghui.org) Recently in a trial of three Falun Gong practitioners at the Chuxiong City Court in Yunnan Province, files belonging to the defendants' lawyer were forcibly taken by court officials. They claimed that the lawyer's files were state secrets. The lawyer is planning to sue the court for the unlawful behavior.
Lawyer's Files Snatched by Court Police
The trial of Falun Gong practitioners Liu Zhiping, Deng Lihua, and Bai Longjun was set by the Chuxiong City Court for 3:00 p.m. on November 27, 2012. Ms. Liu and Mr. Bai had hired a lawyer from Beijing to defend them. Ms. Deng's family hired a local lawyer, but he was afraid to plead innocent on her behalf. Believing herself to be innocent, Ms. Deng dismissed the local lawyer and decided to defend herself. All three practitioners proclaimed their innocence. The Beijing lawyer likewise proclaimed the innocence of the Falun Gong practitioners.
At the conclusion of the trial, the court police came up to the lawyer and snatched his files. When the lawyer questioned their behavior, the police replied by saying that the files were state secrets. The lawyer pointed out, “We would not have had this trial if the case and its files were confidential. Open trials are not state secrets!” A plainclothes officer then threatened the lawyer, “Much of what you have said in the trial is against the Party. We will also search your bag!” The lawyer stated that he would sue the court police for their illegal actions, and requested their names and positions. They didn’t dare to answer. Turning to the judge, the lawyer asked who these people were who had taken his files. The judge first denied that he had seen anything, but then said, “They may be the court staff.”
The three practitioners were arrested at around 7:30 a.m. on July 3, 2012. The arrest was arranged by the Chuxiong 610 Office, directed by Zhang Huiyun, head of the Domestic Division of Chuxiong Police Station, and carried out by over 100 police officers. Four practitioners, Liu Zhiping, Deng Lihua, Bai Longjun, and Hou Fayong, were arrested. Hou was released on August 8.
The Persecution of Liu Zhiping
Ms. Liu Zhiping, who is in her forties, is an employee of the Transportation Hotel of the Chuxiong Transportation Cooperative in Yunnan. She was arrested in early 2000, after traveling to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. She was then imprisoned at the Yunnan Women's Forced Labor Camp for two years.
Ms. Liu was pregnant when she was sent to the forced labor camp, however her treatment was not any less severe than others. She was beaten by Director Ma because she practiced her Falun Gong exercises, and then was forced to stand still in the sun for three days. Two inmates, Du Yanfang and Yang, were assigned to watch her, and she was forbidden from talking with other practitioners. Ms. Liu was forced to do heavy labor in the fields as well, including picking peas, digging, and carrying and transporting fertilizer. Every night the wardens asked her, “Do you still want to practice Falun Gong?” She answered, “Yes.” The inmates in the room would then punish Ms. Liu by making her stand still the entire night. Blaming Ms. Liu for the punishment, the inmates swore at her and beat her. On other nights she was forced to run in the camp courtyard until the following morning. Although she was three-months pregnant and the situation was very difficult for her, Ms. Liu didn't give up her belief in Falun Gong. She worked in the day and was deprived of sleep at night. She protested the torture, but warden Yin instructed two inmates to beat her. They then handcuffed her to a bunk-bed in a separate cell.
When the wardens became aware that Ms. Liu was pregnant, they forced her to have an abortion. The first attempted abortion didn't succeed, however, and the wardens again attempted an abortion when she was five months pregnant, in August 2000. At that time she should have been released on medical parole according to the law. Ms. Liu's physical and mental health were severely affected by the forced abortion.
The Persecution of Deng Lihua and Bai Junlong
Ms. Deng Lihua, born in February 1956, is a retiree of the Chuxiong Silk Factory. She was sentenced to forced labor for two years for distributing materials about Falun Gong and the persecution in 2002. She was imprisoned at the Yunnan Provincial Women's Forced Labor Camp.
Ms. Deng was arrested again in December 2004, and sentenced to a four-year prison term. She was incarcerated at the No. 2 Women's Prison until December 2008. Following that, as part of the ongoing persecution, she was not granted her full pension, but only received 300 yuan per month.
Mr. Bai Longjun, 36, was an employee of the Chuxiong Transportation Cooperative and is now self-employed. In January 2000, he went to Beijing to appeal for the persecution of Falun Gong but was arrested and detained for one month and fined 4,000 yuan. He was then imprisoned at the Yunnan No. 2 Forced Labor Camp for two-and-a-half years.
Relevant personnel:
Domestic Security Division, Chuxiong City Police Station
He Kunquan: +86-13577804999 (Cell)
Chuxiong City Procuratorate:
Public Prosecutor Liang Guirong: +86-13987867836 (Cell), +86-878-3017983 (Office)
Chuxiong City Court
Liu Hanyong, former director, now the party secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Chuxiong City: +86-13908781847 (Cell)
Chuxiong City Police Station
Zhou Xingde, vice-director: +86-13398782599 (Cell)
