(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Shen Shuling from Wuhan City was tried at the Qiaokou District Court on November 18, 2016 for practicing Falun Gong, a cultivation practice persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party in China. The verdict was announced on November 25 and Ms. Shen was sentenced to one year's imprisonment. She has appealed the decision.
On November 17, the day before the trial, Ms. Shen's attorney learned that his client had not been notified of the imminent trial.
The held next day, only four of her family members were allowed to enter the courtroom. However, forty or fifty people from neighborhood communities near the Hanzhong District were arranged by the court to attend the trial. The court officials claimed that they were there to learn from the trial.
Prosecutor Tong Dejun tried to take advantage of Ms. Shen's poor hearing during the trial. He attempted to impose a charge on Ms. Shen. The judge openly hinted several times to charge Ms. Shen.
When Ms. Shen was asked if she pleaded guilty, she said that she was not guilty. This angered the prosecutor. He shouted, "Not guilty!? You will be locked up and given even more years!"
Both of Ms. Shen's attorneys defended her innocence. They pointed out that Falun Gong is a spiritual practice and that practicing one's beliefs is not forbidden by any law. They pointed out that Falun Gong is practiced all over the world legally. China's Constitution guarantees a citizen's freedom of belief and freedom of speech. Falun Gong is protected by China's Constitution.
On November 25 Ms. Shen's attorney received a phone call from the Qiaokou District Court that she was sentenced to one-year of imprisonment.
Ms. Shen and her family have appealed the verdict.
