Name: Yang Jian ( 杨建)
Gender: Female
Age: 40
Address: Unknown
Occupation: School teacher
Date of Most Recent Arrest: September 15, 2010
Most Recent Place of Detention: Meichang Town
Detention City: Tianjin
Persecution Suffered: Detention, interrogation, illegal sentencing, imprisonment, forced labor, sleep deprivation, brainwashing, beatings, torture, force-feedings, extortion, fired from workplace, physical restraint, confined to mental hospital, home ransacked

(Minghui.org) On evening of January 10, 2013, a phone call from the Tianjin Women's Prison notified Ms. Yang Jian's family that she was mentally unstable and thus taken to a mental hospital. Ms. Yang's family went to visit her the next morning, but were told that she had been taken back to the prison as her condition had improved.

Ms. Yang Jian, 40, is a graduate of the Shandong Jinan Industrial University and a Falun Dafa practitioner from Bidian Village, Meichang Town, Wuqing District, Tianjin. She was illegally arrested at home by the Meichang Town police and the Wuqing District Security Brigade on September 15, 2010.

Her 12-year-old daughter, senile parents, and 90-year-old grandmother were left without care.

In order to frame Ms. Yang, local police then went to her daughter's school and tried to intimidate the girl into agreeing with their false claims about Ms. Yang.

Innocent Practitioner Victimized in Court

On November 30, 2010, the Wuqing District Court illegally tried Ms. Yang. Only Ms. Yang Jian's sister-in-law was allowed to attend the hearing. All other observer seats were taken by police, state security officers, and 610 Office staff.

Representing Ms. Yang Jian were Beijing human rights attorneys Mr. Jin Guanghong and Mr. Xie Yanyi. They entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of their client. They informed the court that practicing Falun Dafa is not illegal and that Ms. Yang has not violated any laws.

The lawyers stated that the respective public security bureaus and judiciary branches violated the proper judicial process in their case against Ms. Yang.

Specifically, the lawyers pointed out the following gaps in the prosecutor's claims:

(1) If the accused party did not receive the indictment notice at least 10 days prior to the court hearing, the indictment cannot be considered valid under existing national laws. Ms. Yang Jian wasn't notified within the required period of time of the court hearing.

(2) Two public security personnel made illegal arrangements for Ms. Yang Jian while she was awaiting trial.

(3) Arresting and sentencing citizens for their spiritual belief is illegal per the Chinese Constitution, which grants freedom of belief to all citizens.

Despite the strong defense, and with complete disregard for the law, presiding judge Li Zonglian sentenced Ms. Yang to 5 years in prison, to be served at the Tianjin Women's Prison.