(Minghui.org) Mr. Liu Qinglei of Dong’a County was arrested in neighboring Pingyin County on October 15, 2017 for talking to people about Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.

His family was informed that his court date was set for November 28. When they accompanied his lawyer to visit him at Pingyin County Detention Center on November 17, however, they learned that he had just been brought to the local courthouse. They rushed there and heard Mr. Liu protesting the court's actions, “You can’t hold a hearing without my lawyer!”

Mr. Liu’s family also protested against changing the court date without notification. The judge warned that they were threatening him and in contempt of court.

The lawyer chimed in, “There is no law in China that criminalizes Falun Gong. My client is innocent!” The judge said he was following the criminal law to prosecute Mr. Liu, and the lawyer countered that the law has never labeled Falun Gong a cult.

The judge then halted the hearing. He promised to resume the hearing on the originally scheduled date of November 28, but canceled it two days before the scheduled session.

A new date has not been given to the family or the defense lawyer yet, and they suspect that the judge plans to pull the same tactic again.