(Minghui.org) Between 9 and 11 a.m. on July 18, 2012, a trial was held in Botou Court. The court appointed two lawyers to argue Mr. Wang Xiaodong's case, and only two observers were allowed in the courtroom. Mr. Wang requested another lawyer from Beijing, but his request was turned down. His mother insisted that they wished to have the lawyer from Beijing to plead Mr. Wang's case for them, but the court refused. Then Mr. Wang's sister asked to argue for him, but she was also turned down. The court threatened Mr. Wang's family members that if they said one more word, they would be forced to leave. His mother and sister had to to sit in the last row behind a wire barricade, where they were not able to see him or hear what was going on. At around 11 a.m., the court adjourned without reaching a decision.

At around 8 a.m., an unusually large number of police gathered around Botou Courthouse. The court police were standing outside of the east gate, and by 8:20 a.m., more police and plainclothes officers had shown up. Vehicles were not allowed to park by the courthouse gate, and several policemen walked back and forth with walkie-talkies.

At 8:35 a.m., a few cars left the courthouse and headed to the detention center. Police began directing traffic. Officers were stationed at all the cross streets along the route from the detention center to the courthouse. About four or five officers patrolled the south part of the street, watching Falun Gong practitioners. At the same time, a car with the court's markings drove eastbound slowly. It's believed that there was equipment inside the car, video recording people's activities.

At about 9 a.m., Mr. Wang Xiaodong was taken to the courthouse in a police car. A mini-van with five to six policemen inside drove very slowly heading east. They closely watched the people passing by.

After the trial began, court president Wang Defu told the judicial police to control people entering the courtroom. Even those who had come for their own trials were not allowed to enter. Everyone who entered the courthouse that day had to go through a much stricter security check than usual. After the session, 30 to 40 policemen were stationed outside the court and there were six to seven police cars.

At 9:40 a.m., people who had come for their own court proceedings were finally allowed to enter the courthouse after going through a security check.

Background:

On the morning of February 25, 2012, Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xiaodong was illegally arrested by Wang Wensheng and other officers from Botou Police Station in Hebei Province. Later, over 300 villagers signed to ask for Mr. Wang's release with the village head's seal.

Personnel from the Political and Legal Committee, the 610 Office, and the police station in Botou were very upset and began retaliating against Wang Xiaodong and all the villagers who had signed the petition for him. The Party Branch of Fuzhen, Botou, had a special meeting where all village heads were told to oppose Falun Gong. Moreover, they put banners defaming Falun Gong in Zhouguantun Village. They forced the villagers who had signed the petition to change their words on the petition.

Wang Xiaodong's sister, Ms. Wang Xiaomei, was also illegally arrested by Botou police. She was detained in a forced labor camp. Wang Xiaodong's brother, Wang Junjie, had to leave home to avoid the CCP's persecution and harassment.

On the morning of July 2, Guo Zhongxuan, Party committee head in Botou, and township head Zheng Lanhui went to Zhouguantun Village. They told the village head to take them to Wang Xiaodong's home, where they threatened his family members to change his lawyer. Mr. Wang Xiaodong's mother did not agree. Moreover, Guo Zhongxuan and Zheng Lanhui advised the family to bribe the judge so that Mr. Wang would be sentenced to half a year or released on bail. However, their conspiracy was exposed. Later on, they went to harass his sister.

On the morning of July 3, Guo Zhongxuan and Zheng Lanhui went to Zhouguantun Village for the second time and ordered the village head to bring Wang Xiaodong's mother to see them. They tried twice, but she refused to go.

Around 8 a.m. on July 3, 2012, personnel from the township government called Wang Junjie and told him to return. He refused to comply.

On July 5, attorney Cheng Hai told Mr. Wang Xiaodong's family that Botou Court would not allow him to argue for Wang Xiaodong any more.