(Minghui.org) A gravely ill woman was made to stand trial for the second time on December 11, 2018, for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body spiritual discipline based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Xu Xiujuan's family was notified by Haigang District Court on December 10 that the judge had scheduled a hearing of her on the next day at 1:30 p.m. at the hospital where she was receiving treatment.
One hour before the scheduled hearing, Ms. Xu's family received another call saying that the hearing location had been changed to Haigang District Court.
Ms. Xu's family rushed to the court before 1:30 p.m., only to see the hearing delayed for more than one hour.
Son Testifies Against Police
Without listing any new evidence during the second hearing, the prosecutor repeated his accusation against Ms. Xu for having Falun Gong-related materials at home.
Ms. Xu's lawyer argued that it was illegal for the police to ransack her home without the presence of any family members and that the evidence was thus inadmissible.
Ms. Xu's son testified that the police had forced him to sign a fabricated list of items confiscated from her home. He stated that officers had threatened him that they wouldn't let him go home if he didn't sign the document. Worried about his own five-year-old son who was left at home alone, he was forced to sign the fake list.
Ms. Xu remained pale during the entire hearing. She began to experience discomfort around 30 minutes after it was started. But the judge instructed for the hearing to continue after having medical staff measure her blood pressure.
Ms. Xu later defended her innocence in practicing Falun Gong and demanded an acquittal.
The prosecutor recommended a sentence of several years in prison. The judge adjourned the hearing without announcing a verdict.
Quick Health Decline Due to Torture During Detention
Ms. Xu, in her 50s, was arrested on June 7, 2017 for practicing Falun Gong. The police handcuffed her and chained her feet before taking her to the police station. Then they called a moving company to dispatch a big truck to haul away items confiscated from her home.
Ms. Xu was subjected to various forms of torture for refusing to comply with the detention center guards. The guards once tied her to a wooden board for four days with her arms crossed and her feet chained with shackles weighing more than 30 pounds. She was not released even when she needed to relieve herself. Every minute of the torture felt like an eternity.
While she was forced to stand for hours one night, she suddenly experienced discomfort in her heart and almost collapsed. Only then did the guards allow her to take a break. However, detainee Ma Jiajia accused her of pretending to be ill. Ma grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the wall. She then reported to the guards that Ms. Xu was attempting to commit suicide by hitting herself against the wall.
Ms. Xu's health quickly declined as a result of the nonstop, intensive torture. She developed high blood pressure and heart problems and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment several times.
Her family's repeated requests for medical parole were turned down by the detention center and the court.
Ms. Xu was taken directly from the hospital to Haigang District Court for her first hearing on September 26, 2018. She was given oxygen to stabilize her condition in the middle of the hearing, which lasted only about 30 minutes after she became too weak to carry on.
Related articles:
Gravely Ill Woman Made to Stand Trial; Another Practitioner's Family Devastated by Persecution
Woman Brutally Beaten by Detention Center Guards
56 Falun Gong Practitioners Remain Detained in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province
Businesswoman Facing Trial for Her Faith—More Than 200 Locals Petition for Her Release
