(Minghui.org) When Ms. Guo Lingna was tried the first time last September, her lawyer defended her constitutional right to practice Falun Gong and raised objection to the questionable involvement of the 610 Office in the trial.
He pointed out that the 610 Office is an extralegal agency created by the communist regime specifically to eradicate Falun Gong, and hence is not qualified to evaluate prosecution evidence against his client.
The judge adjourned the first session after the lawyer requested a reevaluation of prosecution evidence. When the trial resumed in late January, however, the court barred the same lawyer from entering the courthouse, citing his refusal to go through a security check.
According to regulations by the Supreme People's Court, judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers are exempt from security checks.
As the head of the 610 Office was let in without a security check, it became clear to the lawyer that the court caved to the 610 Office and found an excuse to stop him from defending his client.
Trouble Brewing after September Session
The Xishan District Court in Kunming, Yunnan Province had previously requested Ms. Guo's lawyer to go through a security check when he went there to review case documents on August 25, 2014. He was blocked outside after he refused to comply with the illegal demand.
The court's supervising agency later apologized to the lawyer after he filed a complaint against the district court, which subsequently agreed to stop the practice of security check of the lawyer.
The lawyer was able to defend his client on September 23, 2014 without having to go through a security check.
During the September session, Ms. Guo asserted that she did not break any law by practicing Falun Gong and following its principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion–Forbearance,” and that the communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong has no legal basis.
When the prosecutor presented a confession by Ms. Guo, her lawyer argued that it was invalid, as the confession was extracted under coercion and torture. During an interrogation following Ms. Guo's arrest on April 10, 2014, officers struck her face repeatedly and stomped on her toes.
In response to the lawyer's objection, the judge announced a second session of the trial on January 29, 2015. In the January session however, the court insisted on having a security check of the lawyer. When he refused, the judge proceeded with the second session, despite the lack of legal representation for Ms. Guo.
Imprisoned for Her Belief
Ms. Guo, 53, worked at the state-owned Yunnan Cement Company in Kunming. After refusing to give in to the authorities' demands to renounce Falun Gong, she was forced to divorce her husband, sent to a labor camp for two years in 2007, and imprisoned for three years starting in 2009. In addition, her daughter was sent to a brainwashing facility and denied schooling.
During Ms. Guo's imprisonment, guards refused to allow her ailing father to visit her just before his death. During her latest illegal detention, her mother was also unable to see her before passing away.
Perpetrators' Contact Information:
Dong Shourong(董寿荣), director of Xishan District 610 Office, +86-13888215910Qiu Xueyan(邱学彦), police officer, +86-871-3387920Du Xiulian (杜秀莲), prosecutor, +86-871-68107700
