(Minghui.org) Four locals in Kazuo County made a second court appearance for publicizing Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa), a spiritual discipline based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that is being persecuted by the Chinese Communist regime.
Mr. Zhao Hua, Mr. Zhang Deshen, Mr. Wang Hongfeng, and Ms. Zhai Li hung a 40 ft by 21 ft banner along an inter-province highway in August 2016. The banner bore the following messages: “Falun Dafa is Good,” “The World Needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” “Knowing the Truth Will Benefit You,” and “Dafa Saves People and Reaches Every Corner of the World.”
All four practitioners have personally benefited from practicing Falun Gong. They felt compelled to inform the public of the goodness of Falun Dafa and raise awareness of the illegal persecution.
Police tracked the practitioners down after reviewing the surveillance camera footage. They seized Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhang, and Ms. Zhai on January 5, 2017, and Mr. Zhao five days later.
Ms. Zhai was released on bail on March 30, while the other three practitioners remain at Kazuo County Detention Center since their arrest.
The four practitioners appeared in court for the first time on June 30. Mr. Wang and Mr. Zhao each had a lawyer representing them. The two defense lawyers argued for their clients’ constitutional right to practice and spread information about Falun Gong, and demanded their acquittal. Mr. Zhang and Ms. Zhai testified in their own defense.
Ms. Zhai also testified against the three police officers, who interrogated her with torture. She reported that she had sustained severe injuries from police beatings. One of her arms still hurt months after her arrest, and she couldn’t even carry a small bag over that shoulder. She also revealed that her computers, printer, camera, and bankcards that were confiscated shortly after her arrest had not been returned to her at the time of the trial.
When the trial resumed on November 21, both the prosecution and the defense questioned each other’s evidence. Ms. Zhai was able to produce signatures of the three officers, including Wang Xiaoyu, Yue Jia, and Yang Fan, who admitted that they had beaten her.
Mr. Zhao followed up by saying that the same three agents beat him too. He further testified against the guards at the detention center. They hung him up twice to beat him brutally. The first time was around November 10, and the second time was on November 21, just hours before he was taken to court.
The second hearing lasted only around 20 minutes. Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhao, and Mr. Zhang were sent back to the detention center afterward, while Ms. Zhai remains on bail.
This is not the first time that the practitioners have been targeted for their faith in Falun Gong. Mr. Wang was sentenced to 9 years in prison in August 2001, when he just turned 20. Mr. Zhao was given 7 years in prison back in 2002.
