(Minghui.org) Ms. Xiong Guizhen and five others were arrested in August 2015 for practicing Falun Gong. But on their May 31 trial date, officials prohibited any family members who practice Falun Gong from entering the courtroom.
As Ms. Xiong's two sisters left their homes heading to the court, police stopped them and took them to a nearby police station. When they asked for the legal basis of their arrest, officer Li Jianhua interrupted them abruptly, “Don't talk with me about laws—what I say is law.”
Some practitioners who tried to audit the trial were apprehended and forced to submit to having blood samples drawn.
Nearly 100 Armed Police Officers Guarded the Court
As the suppression against peaceful Falun Gong practitioners in China continues, the City of Nanjing is no exception. After four practitioners were arrested in March 2015, six more were arrested several months later in August. Practitioners in the recent arrests include Ji Jianxia, Zhang Chaomei, Pan Hanyu, Xiong Guizhen, Yue Jinlan, and Wang Huilan. Their homes were ransacked and they were tortured during detention.
A trial was initially scheduled for May 13, 2016, but it was later postponed. However, when some practitioners who did not know of the change went to the courtroom on that day, many were arrested. The Bancangjie Police Station alone held about 20 practitioners.
Two days before the rescheduled trial, on May 29, police began to harass family members of the detained practitioners. Some were threatened, were not allowed to leave their homes, or were followed by plainclothes agents whenever they went.
When Ms. Xiong's family requested on May 30 if they could access the courtroom during the trial, a judge surnamed Lv said no and refused to provide any explanation. The family members contacted the procuratorial office, but their questions were dismissed.
On the trial day, officials dispatched nearly 100 armed police officers to guard the court. When Ms. Xiong's sisters walked to the courthouse, they were stopped by police about 500 yards away from the building. Officer Li Jianhua took them to a nearby police station and attempted to take blood samples and fingerprints. When they refused to cooperate and demanded to know why, Li told them, “Don't talk with me about laws—what I say is law.”
Another officer was more blatant. “My name is Wang Lu and I have been listed as a vicious police officer on Minghui and I don't care. Here you have to do whatever I tell you,” he shouted. He then ordered several officers to forcibly take blood samples and fingerprints from the sisters.
Biometrics Database for All Falun Gong Practitioners
When another practitioner, Di Yuxin went to the courthouse to audit the trial, Huang Shuicheng and other officers stopped her and took her to a police station. An officer gave an order to collect biometrics data from her. “We have received an order that such data will be entered into a database for all Falun Gong practitioners, including fingerprints, footprints, blood type, and DNA information,” he stated.
Another officer said that the order came from a 610 Office meeting in Dalian City, Liaoning Province last month. After the trial against Ms. Xiong and several others was concluded on May 31, police officers went to more practitioners' homes to collect the data. Some practitioners were forced to stay away from home to avoid the illegal intrusion.
There is much evidence that links the blood sampling with forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. The construction of a new nationwide database raises more concerns over the brutality of the 17-year persecution.
