(Minghui.org) On November 16, 2012, the Meris District Court in Qiqihar City illegally tried Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Li Lianzhen. Her family members were notified on November 23 that she was sentenced to four years in prison. She and her family will appeal the sentence.

Ms. Li is from Shengli Village, Gonghe Town, the Meris District in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province. She lives in a farming community and is 65 years old. Just because she practices Falun Gong, she was arrested in her home by officers from the Meris police department on May 24, 2012. The police also confiscated her books, cell phone, 5000 yuan in cash, and some kitchen appliances. She was kept in the first detention center in Qiqihar for six months.

During the hearing on November 16, her lawyer argued that she did not violate any existing laws. In fact, according to the law, the prosecutor failed to follow the law by filing suit against Ms. Li and was unable to cite any law, which supposedly had been violated. Ms. Li also stated that she should be released, because she did not violate any law.

During the hearing, the judge repeatedly interrupted the defense lawyer. The prosecutor was unable to come up with any law that had been violated. After the hearing, the prosecutor purposely recommended a heavier sentence as a way to justify the charge for which he had no evidence. At that time, more than 20 of Ms. Li's family members were in attendance.

Li Lianzhen has five daughters. Before she started to practice Falun Gong, she suffered from all kinds of health problems, the more serious of which were heart disease, cervical spondylosis, rheumatism, and neurosis. At times, she fainted while working on the farm. Her poor health led her to have a bad temper, and she often quarreled with her husband, threw things around, and scolded her children. However, over the last ten years that she practiced Falun Gong, she gradually felt better and her diseases disappeared. She follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and has become a truly good person and lives according to the old traditional Chinese moral standards. She is against violence, is trustworthy, and has a positive view of others. Furthermore, she uses her own faith to awaken the moral conscience of others.

Ms. Li's daughters have gone to the Meris District police department and asked Mr. Gu Zhijun why their mother is being detained. Mr. Gu is the person responsible for her case. He could not give them a legal reason, but was honest and replied, “We are in the process of seeking out which law she has violated. Once we find it, we'll let you know.” In the meantime, she remains imprisoned.

Ms. Li's daughters first hired a local lawyer, but a member of the local Political and Legal Affairs Committee member told him not to take the case, so they had to hire a lawyer from Beijing. They went with the lawyer to the Meris District Public Security Bureau, the District Prosecutor's office, the District People's Congress, the Qiqihar Municipal People's Congress, the city Procuratorate, and the municipal Public Security Bureau. They provided these agencies with the lawyer's legal defense. However, all the agencies told them that only the local member of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee had the authority to release Ms. Li. Thus, they went to see this committee member many times, but he refused to see them.

Despite the absence of any legal reason, Ms. Li was sentenced to four years in prison. Her family members are seeking the means to appeal her sentence.

Meris District Procuratorate in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang:

Zhang Hebin and Gong Yeqiang, public prosecutors

(Mail code 161021)

Meris District Court in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province:

Presiding Judge Yang Xiaohua (Mail code 161021)

Judges: Guiqiu Zhang, Chang Jung

Clerk: Zhai Feng