Ms. Zhang Jixiu Faces Trial; Judge Prevents Attorneys from Accessing Case Files

(Minghui.org) The Minghang District Court held a trial against Ms. Zhang Jixiu on October 14, 2014; Huang Jiang blocked her attorney's request for case files and prevented him from accessing relevant information.

Two Caohang Police Station officers along with Secretary Zhu from the Shujianlu Neighborhood Committee, went to Ms. Zhang's home at 8 a.m. on May 7, 2014. They deceived her into going with them by requesting that she accompany them to simply answer some questions. The officers then took Ms. Zhang to the Fengxian Detention Center. Her arrest was retroactively approved on June 9.

Minhang District Domestic Security Division officers interrogated Ms. Zhang's family following her arrest. Her family explained how she'd benefited both physically and mentally from practicing Falun Gong. Ms. Zhang also cared for her husband who suffered from a mental illness. Her family also told the officers that her elderly and fragile parents-in-law also needed her care. The family then submitted a formal letter of request for Ms. Zhang's immediate release. However, police personnel falsified the family conversation record and used it as evidence to charge Ms. Zhang. Her family members were even listed as witnesses for the prosecution, which infuriated them.

Ms. Zhang's family then hired two attorneys for her defense. The first attorney went to the Minhang District Court and requested to review her case files. Huang Jiang, the staff responsible for the case told him that the case files were not available in the court. The second attorney finally accessed the files at the end of September, but was not allowed to copy and hold the files. Clause 47 of Criminal Procedure Law clearly stipulates: “Defense attorneys may read, excerpt and copy case files. Other counsel may also read, excerpt and copy the case files after being approved by the court.” Ms. Zhang's attorney contacted Huang Jiang immediately and requested his legal rights as a defense lawyer; otherwise, he would be required to report this infraction to the presiding judge. Huang Jiang replied: “Go ahead - it will be useless for you to see the presiding judge.”

Ms. Zhang has faced repeated persecution for the past 15 years. She was held for 15 days in February, 2000, then taken to a forced labor camp that July to serve a two-year term. Ms. Zhang was again taken to a forced labor camp in August 2010, where she was held for a year. She was also arrested and held for 15 days in November 2012, and February 2014, respectively.

Personnel responsible for the persecution of Ms. Zhang:Minhang District Court:Huang Jiang (黄江): [phone], ext. 4011 (office)Minhang Domestic Security Division: [phone]Caohang Police Station: [phone], [phone]Chief Yu Hongmin (俞鸿敏)Deputy Wu Yongzhun (吴勇春)Sanshuiyuan Neighborhood Committee: [phone]Minhang District Political and Law Committee: [phone], [phone]Xue Zhihua (薛志华), director, the 610 OfficeZhang Shiyang (张世扬), deputy director