(Minghui.org) Mr. Qiao Jianjun, a designer at Sinopec, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison last November, by the Wenshui County Court in Shanxi Province for having Shen Yun DVDs in his possession. The court found him guilty of promoting Chinese traditional culture, which is clearly not a crime. The Wenshui County Procuratorate in Wenshui County considered the penalty too light and appealed to have the sentence increased. The Luliang City Intermediate Court tried Mr. Qiao on May 31, 2013.
During the first trial the Wenshui Procuratorate requested that Mr. Qiao be sentenced to over ten years in prison. The second time they suggested a seven-year term.
Mr. Qiao, about 30, was born in Jilin Province, and lived in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. He was a designer at Sinopec. He was known for his outstanding performance at work, and was considered brilliant by his friends and colleagues. He was arrested by the Wenshui County police around 2:00 p.m. on July 15, 2012. They also confiscated his car.
Mr. Qiao Jianjun
On November 20, 2012, the judicial, prosecutors, and police in Wenshui County came together to try Mr. Qiao. The so-called “prosecutor” claimed that Mr. Qiao had in his possession about a thousand Shen Yun DVDs. These governing agencies requested that he be sentenced to more than ten years, but the court sentenced him to three and a half years.
The mission of Shen Yun Performing Arts is to revive ancient Chinese traditional culture. Shen Yun is unparalleled in artistic achievement, has profound inner meaning and is world-renowned. The Wenshui County Court has previously convicted people for following their beliefs and people have been penalized for promoting traditional Chinese culture. This is clearly against the law. The Wenshui Procuratorate thought the sentence was not severe enough, and appealed to the Luliang Intermediate Court for a second trial.
The Luliang Intermediate Court tried Mr. Qiao again on May 31, 2013. According to eyewitnesses, Mr. Qiao was handcuffed, shackled, hooded, and then dragged by the police into the court. Two members of Mr. Qiao’s family came all the way from Shandong Province, but only one of them was allowed to sit in the courtroom. The rest of the seats were filled with government workers disguised as local citizens with audience permits.
During the second trial, Mr. Qiao clarified the facts about Falun Gong. He addressed the people in the courtroom and sincerely advised them not to commit crimes against Falun Gong. He said: “The things I did were not for myself, but were for your sake. What will your life be like in the future when the persecution of Falun Gong is over?” Mr. Qiao also disclosed the illegal conduct of the Wenshui County 610 Office. He explained how he was tricked by the 610 Office when they promised to let him go after he signed some papers.
According to eyewitnesses, the statements made by Mr. Qiao's lawyers from Beijing were based on careful analyses, logical reasoning and their rebuttal followed the law. They were able to defend their case based on the law and were able to clearly refute the prosecution's arguments. The court was silent after the defense gave their statements. In his final statement, Mr. Qiao said: “Falun Dafa is a righteous spiritual discipline. I am not guilty of any crime. I request that I be released right away.”
The court said the decision would be announced at another time. Please continue to follow this case closely.
