(Minghui.org) A native of Kaifeng City, Henan Province was arrested in Kunming City, Yunnan Province for distributing materials exposing the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
This is not the first time that Mr. Wu Guangcheng, 58, has been targeted for his faith. Both he and his wife have been repeatedly arrested for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. He lost his job as an executive of a real estate company in Kaifeng and was sent to a forced labor camp several times. His wife has also been imprisoned more than once. Their son once wrote a letter asking when he’d be able to see his parents again.
Mr. Wu moved to Kunming several years ago. While in his adopted city, he continued his efforts to inform the public of the illegal persecution of Falun Gong. He was distributing Falun Gong materials in an apartment complex on April 7, 2017 when he was caught by some residents and the security guard. Noticing that he wasn’t a native of Kunming, the security guard demanded 1,000 yuan in exchange for his release.
Mr. Wu didn’t have that much cash with him, and the security guard called the police, who soon arrived to arrest him. The security guard next collected the Falun Gong materials that Mr. Wu had left outside each apartment unit and sent them along to the local police station.
Mr. Wu appeared in court on November 27, with Judge Wu Zhaomin of the Xishan District Court presiding over the hearing. Prosecutor Huang Yunshuang accused Mr. Wu of breaking the law by distributing Falun Gong materials.
Mr. Wu's lawyer entered a not guilty plea for him. The lawyer argued that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong and that the persecution of Falun Gong has been illegal from the onset. He further emphasized that his client’s distribution of Falun Gong materials caused no harm to anyone or society at large. He demanded his client’s acquittal.
Mr. Wu testified in his own defense. He shared how he and his wife were persecuted for practicing Falun Gong and argued that Falun Gong practitioners should never have been prosecuted for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of belief and freedom of the press.
The lawyer next testified against the aforementioned security guard for trying to extort money from his client.
Judge Wu adjourned the session without issuing a verdict.
Related Reports:
Henan Province: Mr. Wu Guangcheng of Kaifeng City Persecuted for Ten Years
A Boy, 16, from Henan Province: When Will I Be Able to Reunite with My Parents?
