(Minghui.org) A Tonghe County resident was tried on December 15 for spreading information about Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Mr. Wang Maojie, a teacher at Nonghe Town Zhongxin Elementary School, was arrested on August 24, 2016. He was released on bail on September 1 after losing consciousness and being diagnosed with post-stroke complications.
Zhang Shiguo, head of Tonghe County Domestic Security Office, kept harassing Mr. Wang at home and tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to visit the police station for further questioning.
Zhang turned to Mr. Wang’s wife, who does not practice Falun Gong and is always terrified of the persecution. Mr. Wang was afraid for his wife, so he eventually complied with Zhang’s demand.
Officer Tai Fenghai interrogated Mr. Wang at the police station. Mr. Wang admitted that he forwarded to some friends a message containing two video clips reporting on the persecution of Falun Gong, but the message originated from someone else, not him.
Tai demanded to know who sent out the message in the first place, but Mr. Wang couldn’t recall. Tai struck him on the head.
Under pressure, Mr. Wang made up a story, saying that a Falun Gong practitioner he didn’t know but met on the bus had sent him the message.
The prosecutor referenced the interrogation record during the trial on December 15 and also pointed to a police-supplied certificate, saying Mr. Wang was once given forced labor for practicing Falun Gong and thus a repeat offender.
Mr. Wang refuted the forced labor claim, as he was never held at any labor camp. He asked the court to investigate the forged evidence, and the judge agreed to.
The prosecutor initially recommended 2-3 years in prison but changed it to 1-2 years after Mr. Wang protested the forced labor claim.
Mr. Wang was taken back into custody after the hearing. He is now awaiting the verdict in Tonghe County Detention Center.
Chief Culprits in the Persecution of Mr. Zhang
The chief culprits of Mr. Zhang’s prosecution are Zhang Shiguo, the aforementioned head of Tonghe County Domestic Security Office, and Zhang Yue, head of Tonghe County 610 Office, an extra-legal agency tasked with eradicating Falun Gong and given power to override the judicial system.
According to insiders, the two men are trying to use Mr. Wang’s case to advance their own political careers. They were overheard saying that they wanted to make this case a big deal to generate attention from their superiors.
This is not the first time that Zhang Shiguo has targeted Mr. Wang for his faith. Back in 2001 when Zhang was still a rank-and-file officer, he drove to Mr. Wang’s home and demanded that he report to the police station.
Mr. Wang refused and was dragged into the police cruiser. He kicked the car window and broke it during his struggle to get away. Zhang later tried, unsuccessfully, to make Mr. Wang’s brother and mother pay for the broken window.
After Zhang Shiguo was promoted to become head of the Tonghe County Domestic Security Office, he worked closely with Zhang Yue to intensify the persecution of Falun Gong for their own benefit. They often fined local practitioners without issuing any receipts and split the money between them.
Related Report:Tonghe County, Heilongjiang Province: Elementary School Teacher Faces Trial
