(Minghui.org) Ms. Deng Deyu in her 70s, was tried on February 10, 2015 for spreading information about Falun Gong. Her defense attorney was not given adequate time to prove her innocence. He requested her immediate release.
The entrance of the Huaying City Court was guarded, only Ms. Deng's family members, who had to show their ID cards were allowed to enter. Their cell phones were removed and they were searched by a special instrument.
The judge asked the attendees of the trial: “Do you have a cell phone with you? Audio and video recordings are not permitted.”
Ms. Deng stated in the court: “Why is one guilty if one is a good person?” Because she refused to sign interrogation records prior to the trial, the prosecutor wanted to increase her penalty from five to seven years.
Her defense attorney stated: “The sentence is too harsh, my client is not guilty.” The prosecutor then changed the sentence to three to five years, which was again refuted by the defense attorney. Finally, the judge announced that the verdict would be issued on another day. The prosecutor, in her thirties, was from the Huaying City Procuratorate.
The prosecutors presented seven written witness testimonies during the trial, each one had Ms. Deng's photo on it. Public security officers collected the testimonies and they used the information Ms. Deng had distributed as “evidence.”
The trial started later than what had been scheduled. Since the reading of the procedure and evidence took more time, the presiding judge asked the defense attorney to cut a long story short, and did not provide him adequate time for his defense.
