Woman Faces Trial for Exercising Her Right to Belief

(Minghui.org) A mother of two from a village in Liaoning Province has been jailed for almost 20 months without trial. Her crime? Teaching her father a traditional Chinese cultivation practice.

Ms. Sun Lianqiu was arrested on August 23, 2013, for teaching her father Falun Gong, a peaceful cultivation practice that promotes good health and spiritual growth based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She has been detained ever since – far beyond the legal limit – and is now facing trial.

Ms. Sun is a Falun Gong practitioner from Gaoqiao Township, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. The Nanpiao District Procuratorate filed the case with the District Court in November 2013. The court did not hold the trial within the required timeframe and only informed her family in February 2015 of an upcoming trial.

Her family sought help from a lawyer, who confirmed that she had been detained beyond the legal limit and was able to get the trial canceled.

After the Nanpiao District Court set a new trial date of March 31, 2015, Ms. Sun's family went to the court and requested her immediate release. Court officials would not admit that Ms. Sun has been held longer than legally allowed and refused to release her. They said that the trial would be held within the week.

The Nanpiao District Procuratorate has charged Ms. Sun with “interfering with law enforcement” – a standard charge thrown at Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience. The purported “evidence” to substantiate the charge was that Ms. Sun taught her father Falun Gong and there were Falun Gong books in her home.

Ms. Sun has now been detained almost 20 months in the Huludao Detention Center. Her family is very worried about her situation and has visited Nanpiao District judicial offices many times to request her release.

Ms. Sun has two young children, who are devastated by the loss of their mother. Ms. Sun's mother is also distraught over her daughter's situation.

Ms. Sun is well liked in her village, and her neighbors have expressed outrage over her unfair treatment. The village office even issued a statement attesting to her good character and have asked for her release.

Parties involved in persecuting Ms. Sun:Guo Jianli and Zhang Chongli from the Nanpiao Police StationYuan Ye, Zhang Jinbo, and Li Weiguo of the Gaoqiao Police BranchLiu Weimin, deputy director: [phone], [phone]Liu Yanqing, head of the case processing division: [phone], [phone]Ren Yuanmin, head of the Nanpiao State Security Brigade: [phone]Chen Chunqiu, head of the Nanpiao District Court: [phone], [phone], [phone]