(Minghui.org) A Handan City resident was given 3-year prison term at his sentencing hearing on December 14.
Mr. Wu Haiming was arrested on June 3, 2015 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. His lawyer defended his constitutional right to freedom of belief when he first appeared in court on September 20, 2016. The lawyer argued that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong and that his client should never have been prosecuted for holding firm to his spiritual belief.
The sentencing hearing wasn’t made known to Mr. Wu until he was brought to the courtroom. His lawyer requested that such violation of legal procedure be recorded in the court proceedings.
Prosecutor Li Wenying presented additional evidence against Mr. Wu. The modified indictment stated that someone had discovered Falun Gong messages in his computer, and that the police had found Falun Gong messages on Mr. Wu’s cell phone.
Li asserted this further proved that Mr. Wu was guilty. The lawyer refuted such claims, as the persecution of Falun Gong has lacked legal basis from the onset, and his client had every right to store Falun Gong messages in his electronic devices.
The lawyer also questioned the validity of the modified indictment. By law, the prosecutor should have sought approval from the chief of the local procuratorate and submitted a written request to the court. The new indictment, however, contained no such approval or written request.
Judge Liu Yanfeng of Feixiang District Court sentenced Mr. Wu to 3 years at the end of the hearing.
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