(Minghui.org) Two Falun Gong practitioners, Mr. Zhang Yutang and Mr. Guan Rian, were brought to the Aimin District Court in Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province to stand trial for a third time on the morning of January 27, 2015.
The two men are being tried for their belief in Falun Gong, which is violently persecuted by the communist regime. Mr. Zhang had previously been sentenced to forced labor and brutally tortured for refusing the authorities' demands to renounce his belief in Falun Gong.
The trial was adjourned when the judge verified that legal procedures had not been followed.
Defense Attorney Not Notified in Time
Chinese procedural law states that the court must deliver the hearing notice to the defense lawyer at least three days before the trial. Mr. Zhang's attorney received the notice only one day prior to the hearing. This limited his time to prepare for the trial and created a schedule conflict.
Judge Jiang Bingbing called Mr. Zhang's lawyer, who had requested that the notice of the hearing be delivered at least three days in advance. After consulting with higher authorities, the judge adjourned the proceedings.
Previous Trials
Before the second trial on November 25, 2014, the attorneys were not allowed to read their clients' case files and were thus unable put together a defense.
The defendants' families asked for a change in attorneys and that they be allowed to read the case files. After a short recess, the judge approved the request and adjourned the trial.
The Mudanjiang City Intermediate Court had rescinded the original judgment handed down by Aimin District Court on July 7, 2014, because neither the attorneys nor the practitioners' families had been notified of the court date.
Lawyer Harassed, Defendant's Mother Pushed Down and Dragged Out
When Mr. Guan's lawyer was ordered to show his law license and his residential identification card, he refused, since Chinese law states that such documents are to be presented only to the court bailiff. The lawyer waited outside in the cold for about 20 minutes until Judge Jiang Bingbing arrived to take him into the courtroom.
The families of the two practitioners arrived on time for the trial. Officers at the entrance claimed that only the defendants' wives were allowed to attend the trial.
They stopped Mr. Guan's elderly mother, in her 70s, from entering the courtroom and pushed her down. They then dragged her out through the courthouse gate.
Perpetrators' Contact Information:
Aimin District Court in Mudanjiang City:Lu Juncheng (卢俊成), president of the court: +86-453-8909988, +86-13836396888Wang Yuchen (王玉臣), deputy president of the court: +86-13946365618Ji Ming (季明), deputy president of the court and presiding judge: +86-453-8909459, +86-13704838909Jiang Bingbing (姜冰冰), judge: +86-13884530036, +86-13945325888, +86-13384530036
Earlier report:Two Practitioners Secretly Tried Without Legal Representation; Court Denies Trial Ever Took Place
