(Minghui.org) It has now been six months since Shanghai Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Yang Manye was arrested on October 9, 2013. She is being held in the Putuo District Detention Center in Shanghai. Officials from the Putuo District Procuratorate approved the arrest on November 14.
The Putuo Domestic Security Division submitted her case to the Putuo Procuratorate, which returned the case due to “insufficient evidence” on February 18.
This is the fifth time that Ms. Yang has been arrested.
The attorney Ms. Yang's family hired to defend her pointed out:
1. The evidence submitted by the police only proves that Ms. Yang Manye is a Falun Gong practitioner. It does not prove that she has done anything illegal.
2. There are significant flaws in the procedures followed by the police. The police failed to submit all evidence to the procuratorate regarding her case. Additionally, they interrogated Ms. Yang for an extended period, which could be viewed as interrogation by torture.
3. China's Constitution clearly states that citizens have “freedom of religion.” It isn't wrong for Ms. Yang to believe in Falun Gong nor does this belief violate the law.
Furthermore, even if Ms. Yang did produce and distribute materials about Falun Gong, it is not illegal as long as no party is being hurt. To tell others about one's belief is fully within the scope of “freedom of speech” granted in the Constitution.
Ms. Yang was born in 1967. She graduated from college and lived on Tangshan Road in the Putuo District. The police arrested her five times and ransacked her home many times. Her family constantly lives in the shadow of fear and worry. Her son is still in elementary school and has suffered from her absence.
Ms. Yang was first arrested in 2000 for distributing truth clarification materials about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to four years, with another nine months added on. She was held in solitary confinement for a long time, shocked with electric batons, and forced to do hard labor, which shattered her kneecaps.
Ms. Yang was released in August 2005, but less than six months later, officers from the Putuo Domestic Security Division arrested her again. This time she was taken to the Qingpu Forced Labor Camp in Shanghai for a year and a half.
Ms. Yang was arrested for the third time on June 6, 2009, and taken to the Putuo Detention Center. She was released a month later.
Officers from the Putuo Domestic Security Division and the 610 Office arrested Ms. Yang again on October 22, 2009. They took her to a brainwashing center.
Ding Hao (丁浩), director of the Ganquanlu Police Station, Putuo District: 86-21-22048250, 86-21-56051745 Zheng Wenbin (郑文斌), director of the Putuo Police Department: +86-22-52809966 Ju Changhong (居长鸿), Party secretary of the Putuo Political and Legal Affair Committee Xu Xiaoning (许晓宁), director of the Putuo “Prevention Office:” +86-21-52825610 Wu Juwei (邬菊伟), Putuo Domestic Security Division: +86-21-22049412
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