(Minghui.org) With the Chinese communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong still in high gear, the seemingly easy way of hiring a lawyer turns into an almost impossible task for practitioners.
Before the trial of Ms. Zhang Suhua and Ms. Zhu Yaxian at Dongchang Court, Judge Zhao Yan refused to accept the lawyers' documents on behalf of their clients. He also refused to allow the lawyers to review the case documents.
Zhao demanded that the lawyers obtain a permit from the Bureau of Justice, as well as a certificate from the Domestic Security Division certifying that the lawyers do not practice Falun Gong.
“Even if I accept your paperwork, you still can't represent her. I won't inform you of the date of the trial and won't allow you to defend her,” Judge Zhao told Ms. Zhu's lawyer.
When reminded that it is illegal to restrict a defendant from hiring a lawyer, Zhao responded, “You can file a complaint against me anywhere you like, be it the intermediate court or the superior court. I'm just following a verbal order from above. I have processed many Falun Gong cases in recent years, and I've always followed that order.”
Zhao hinted that the verbal order was from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee.
Ms. Zhang Suhua's family members and the lawyer went to the Bureau of Justice on April 17 to ask about the verbal order.
The director, Hou Jianxin, said that although existing Chinese law does not require the lawyer to register with them in order to defend practitioners, they still have to follow the verbal order.
He suggested that Ms. Zhang's family members defend her instead.
When the practitioners' family members asked the judge about defending Ms. Zhang themselves, Zhao asked for an official letter from Hou.
According to Chinese law, defendants have the legal right to be represented by either their family members or any certified lawyer.
Ms. Zhang Suhua, 74, and Ms. Zhu Yaxian, 58, were arrested on September 2, 2014, and have been illegally detained at Tonghua City Detention Center for more than eight months.
The police submitted their cases to the procuratorate in November 2014. However, the procuratorate rejected Ms. Zhang's case twice and Ms. Zhu's case once, citing insufficient evidence, before accepting the case on March 16, 2015.
Related article:Court Refuses Official Letter from Practitioner Zhang Suhua's Attorney
Related articles in Chinese language:
Participants in the persecution of Ms. Zhang and Ms. Zhu:
Zhao Yan (赵岩), judge from the Dongchang District Court: +86-435-3947289, +86-15844587666Zhao Zhongguo (赵忠国), head of the Tonghua Political and Legal Affairs Committee: +86-13894587888Chuai Zhiyong (啜智勇), head of the Tonghua Detention Center: +86-13843595959Xue Yuliang (薛玉亮), deputy of the Tonghua 610 Office: +86-435-3908495 (Office), +86-435-5223195 (Home), +86-13904451512 (Mobile)
(Additional contact information of the perpetrators in the persecution is available in the original Chinese article.)
