(Minghui.org) The Xiyang County Court in Shanxi Province held a hearing for Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Guohui on November 21, 2012. The hearing was originally scheduled for September 13, 2012; however, afraid that the general public would attend, the court abruptly canceled it only two days before the scheduled date.
Ms. Wang's attorney very responded to and refuted the accusations that the regime agents fabricated against Ms. Wang. Ms. Wang also defended herself.
Ms. Wang is a retired employee from the Xiyang County Water Company. She was well known in her hometown for being a kind and good person, and worked very hard and diligently at her job before she retired. When she explained to the villagers from Dongpingyuan Village in Xiyang County the facts about Falun Gong and exposed the persecution, she was reported to the police by people who had listened to the CCP's lies. The police arrested her and ransacked her home.
Her attorney responded in court that all the notices and judicial interpretations that the regime's authorities published after 1999 about the persecution of Falun Gong are against the CCP's own Constitution, and cannot be used as a legal basis for the persecution. Then the judge took out a notice that had been published by the Bureau of Civil Affairs. When the attorney pointed out that this was not an official legal document, and cannot be used as a basis to persecute practitioners, the judge remained silent.
Then the prosecutor listed the Falun Gong books, Falun Gong related DVDs and some equipment for making informational materials that were confiscated from Ms. Wang's house as evidence to sentence her.
The attorney said: “First of all, when the police ransacked her house, they didn't follow official procedures. They are supposed to seal everything confiscated from her house in front of her and also open it in front of her in court. So many things are listed as evidence, how do we know that the police didn't place something else here? Secondly, my client did not violate any laws by following her own belief. The Christians read their Bible, and the Buddhists read the scriptures. Additionally, distributing brochures to explain to people what Falun Gong is and about the persecution is completely legal, and not prohibited by the law. The way practitioners distribute brochures is also very peaceful; they do not force anyone to take them. So persisting in one's own belief and spreading the truth, as well as making and distributing informational materials is done to protect their own freedom of belief. They are not causing society any harm, and their basic human rights should be protected by law.”
Ms. Wang also defended herself in the court. She said: “I practice Falun Gong by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. My body became healthy and I became a better person. Falun Gong really brings many benefits to society and does not harm anyone.”
After three rounds of court debate, the attorney demanded an acquittal for Ms. Wang. Currently, the court is considering a verdict.
During the hearing, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., neither the judge nor the prosecutor had any reasonable replies based on the law to the questions that Ms. Wang's attorney raised.
