(Minghui.org) A 74-year-old resident in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province was tried by the Xinmin City Court on May 24, 2019, for not renouncing her faith in Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Gao Yunxia, who lost her mobility after having a stroke, was carried into the courtroom by her son-in-law.
The judge adjourned the hearing without issuing an verdict. He said he had to wait for approval from Political and Legal Affairs Committee in Xinmin City, a non-judicial agency tasked with the persecution of Falun Gong and given the power to override the judicial system.
Ms. Gao was arrested on January 11, 2018 while distributing informational materials about her faith. The police ransacked her home and arrested her husband, son, and daughter. Her son and daughter were beaten by the police.
Ms. Gao's husband, son, and daughter were released the following morning. She was taken to Shenyang City Detention Center, where she was rejected admission due to having high blood pressure. The police extorted 2,000 yuan from her family as a bail bond before releasing her.
Officer Zhang Hanwen deceived Ms. Gao into going to the Procuratorate on January 23, 2019 to fill out some paperwork. He didn't say what the paperwork was for.
Li Zhonghua, a staff member from the Xinmin City Court, delivered the indictment to Ms. Gao on April 8, 2019, and said she would be scheduled to appear in court soon. She realized then that the paperwork she filled out earlier must have been in preparation for her indictment.
