(Minghui.org) Mr. Liu Changhai was arrested and sentenced for writing a few articles about China's poor air quality.
He was tried at Ganjingzi District Court on April 21, 2016, and given a four-year prison term. Mr. Liu has appealed the sentence.
Lu Mingli, the presiding judge in the case, has participated in many trials against Falun Gong practitioners.
Ms. Liu's family learned during the trial that the focus of this case was on his articles about air pollution in China, which were published by overseas media. In the articles, he suggested better governance in regards to environmental protection.
Mr. Liu, 56, graduated from Zhejiang University, one of China's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education.
He was fired from his job years ago because he practices Falun Gong, and has spent the last few years doing research for a book.
Arrested and Detained
Mr. Liu was arrested at his home by officers from the Xigang Police Department on July 20, 2015. His wife and daughter, who are not Falun Gong practitioners, were also arrested, but were later released.
Their home was ransacked, and the police confiscated the book Zhuan Falun, a computer, and printer. The computer contained years of research for the book.
Mr. Liu was taken to a brainwashing center where the staff tried to force him to renounce his belief in Falun Gong. A police officer handling the case told his family that he would be held there for six months unless he “cooperated.”
The officer repeatedly contacted his family and told them to persuade Mr. Liu to give up his belief.
After being detained for two weeks, Mr. Liu was transferred to a detention center.
The case was pushed back and forth between the Xigang Police Department, Procuratorate, and Ganjingzi District Court, as there seemed to be insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Liu.
A court hearing was held on April 21, 2016. The only evidence the prosecutors could show was that Mr. Liu had exercised his constitutional right to express his concerns over China's air pollution and public health.
Mr. Liu's lawyer pleaded not guilty to the charges on his behalf.
Parties involved in the persecution:Lu Mingli (卢明利), presiding judge: +86-82793730Xigang Police Department: +86-0411-82474720
