(Minghui.org) Hundreds of police officers appeared at Dalian City Intermediate Courthouse on the morning of April 12, 2013. Outside the courthouse, they arrested Falun Gong practitioners and their family members who were attempting to attend a trial of 13 Falun Gong practitioners.
The Zhongshan District Court had scheduled a trial of the 13 practitioners at the Dalian City Intermediate Courthouse, at 9:30 a.m. on April 12. The 13 defendants face charges of practicing Falun Gong and clarifying the truth about it despite Article 35 and 36 of China's Constitution, which warrants its citizens the freedom of speech and religious belief. The 13 practitioners were Mr. Che Zhongshan, Mr. Zhu Chengqian, Mr. Wang Shoucheng, Mr. Wang Tao, Mr. She Yue, Mr. Shi Zhanshun, Mr. Pei Zhenbo, Ms. Pan Xiuqing, Ms. Lin Lihong, Ms. Bai Ruyu, Ms. Li Shengjie, Mr. Guo Song, and Mr. Yu Bo. They were among the 79 practitioners allegedly arrested on July 6, 2012 on the same charges.
It is alleged that the court canceled the trial the evening before and failed to notify any defense attorneys or the families. Another source stated that a defense attorney was notified of the abrupt cancellation on the night of April 11 after he had arrived in Dalian.
Hundreds of police officers in uniform and civilian clothes surrounded the courthouse at around 8 a.m. on April 12. The police set up road blocks on all the streets directly intersecting the courthouse, and no cars were allowed to enter. The police also set up checkpoints to stop all foot traffic. No one was allowed to even enter the public square near the courthouse. The only vehicles at the courthouse were police cars and vans.
The police started arresting people at around 8:20 a.m. A witness saw the police arresting all the women over 50 and putting them on buses. The elderly mother of Mr. She Yue was arrested as soon as she approached the courthouse.
Five Falun Gong practitioners from Malanzi have been confirmed to be among the arrested that day. They are Mr. She Yue's wife (Ms. Hua Caixia), Mr. Song Weidong, Mr. Wang Lei, Mr. Wang (a schoolteacher), Mr. Dong, and Mr. Xu.
Ms. Zhao Zhenhua, a practitioner from Dalian, was arrested, and the police ransacked her home. Two Falun Gong practitioners from Dalian, Mr. Li Changshuang and Ms. Qin, were arrested. Mr. Li was later released.
A witness said the police continued to make arrests after 10 a.m. Two practitioners over 60 were seen being arrested near the courthouse after 10 a.m. Mr. Wang Shoucheng's wife was leaving her home at 6 a.m. when she was stopped by the police outside her door.
The actual number of arrests is unknown.
It is alleged that the police from the Domestic Security Division of the Dalian City Police Department and the police from the Zhongshan District Police Department made the arrests. The police chief of Zhongshan Police Department is Cao Xunbing. The assigned judge is Liang Yongguo. The prosecutor is Qu Huiyong.
