Mr. Zhang Weizhong from Fengrun District, Tangshan City Appeals after Being Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

Name: Zhang Weizhong (张维仲)
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Address: Xindianzi Village, Yangguanlin Township, Fengrun District, Tangshan City
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 15, 2011
Most Recent Place of Detention: Fengrun District Detention Center (丰润区看守所)
City: Tangshan
Province: Hebei
Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing, imprisonment, detention

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Weizhong from Fengrun District, Tangshan City was illegally sentenced on March 17, 2012 to two years of imprisonment.

Mr. Zhang has appealed to Tangshan City Intermediate People's Court. After Mr. Zhang was detained for nine months, his lawyer visited him at the Fengrun District Detention Center. According to the lawyer, Mr. Zhang is currently in very bad shape. He throws up everything he eats and is not able to keep any food down. He can only lay in bed.

Mr. Zhang has a 70-year-old mother and a 14-year-old child who are relying on family and friends' help to get by. His child has dropped out of middle school.

Mr. Zhang Weizhong, 40, of Xindianzi Village of Yangguanlin Township, Fengrun District, Tangshan City, began to practice Falun Gong in 1998 and has benefited tremendously mentally and physically.

Mr. Zhang Weizhong

Mr. Zhang was arrested on the evening of June 15, 2011 for no apparent reason. Mr. Zhang was on his way bringing back metal scraps from Sanhe City. While passing by downtown of Yutian County, Mr. Zhang was stopped and fined by the traffic police because there was copper in the scrap metal and that Mr. Zhang's auto insurance had expired. Mr. Zhang's car was also confiscated. After he went home and brought money back to pay for the fine, Mr. Zhang was detained by police officers from Yutian County Chengguan Police Station. Upon receiving a notice, police from Yangguanlin Township Police Station sent Mr. Zhang to Fengrun Detention Center, where he is currently being detained.

Prior to this, Mr. Zhang's wife, Ms. Deng Xiuyan, was arrested by a group of officers led by deputy mayor of Fengrun Yangguanlin Township Li Guoyong and Li Guodong of Yangguanlin Township Police Station. They got over the wall of Mr. Zhang and Ms. Deng's home and took away their personal belongings such as a printer, a calender, and Falun Gong books. Ms. Deng was secretly sentenced on June 28 to four and half years of imprisonment by the Fengrun District Court. She was taken to Shijiazhuang Women's Prison for further persecution.

The Tangshan City Fengrun District Court held a hearing for Mr. Zhang's case on December 15, 2011. A lawyer from Beijing Jiafa Law Firm entered a not-guilty plea and defended Mr. Zhang. The lawyer argued that there was insufficient evidence and the facts used were not clear. The lawyer pointed out that the charge of “using a heretical organization to subvert the law” against Mr. Zhang in the indictment could not be established, and that Mr. Zhang's action did not violate any criminal law, thus he should be acquitted and released immediately.

The defense lawyer stated that making and distributing Falun Gong promotional materials, the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, and Shen Yun DVD's do not violate the law of China. There is no legal provision in China that says distributing promotional materials of Falun Gong is illegal or a criminal act. Distributing Falun Gong materials is exercising a citizen's right to freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion as stated in the Chinese Constitution. The content of these materials is not breaking any law or undermining the implementation of any law or administrative regulations. He said, “A peaceful community of faith such as Falun Gong does not have any political pursuits. The believers put their minds into how to be a good person and strictly follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They do not violate the law nor infringe on the life, the liberty, or the property of others. Why would the governing body launch such a large-scale persecution against them? Facing groundless slandering and persecution, Falun Gong practitioners don't have any regular channel to exercise their right to freedom of speech. They use their income and make materials to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to the Chinese people, to expose the lies of the media, and tell people the benefits of practicing Falun Gong. What is wrong with that?”

Parties responsible for the persecution of Mr. Liu:

Fu Chunsheng, President, Tangshan City Fengrun District Court: [phone] (office), [phone] (cell)
Han Junhua, Procurator-General, Tangshan City Fengrun District Procuratorate: [phone] (office), [phone] (office), [phone] (cell)
Zheng Ruixue, Director, Tangshan City Fengrun District 610 Office: [phone] (office), [phone] (cell)
Yang Aimin, Secretary, Tangshan City Fengrun District Political and Legislative Affairs Committee (Comprehensive Administration Office): [phone] (office), [phone] (cell)
Wang Xiuxin, Director, Tangshan City Fengrun District Yangguanlin Township Police Station: [phone] (cell)
Zhang Guanghui, Director, Tangshan City Fengrun District Police Department: [phone] (office), [phone] (cell)
Song Dianchun, Superintendent , Fengrun District Detention Center: [phone] (office), [phone] (cell), [phone] (home)