(Minghui.org) While a Huili County, Sichuan Province resident still awaits a verdict five months after the court hearing for his faith in Falun Gong, the police and prosecutor have submitted more evidence to the court, attempting to pursue a prison sentence against him.
When Mr. Xu Shikai’s family contacted judge Fu Jing to inquire about his case in February 2020, the judge said that he had just received more materials from the prosecutor, and that he was considering another hearing for Mr. Xu.
According to Mr. Xu’s lawyer, Chinese criminal law prohibits prosecutors from submitting additional evidence after the court hearing. He urged the judge not to consider such evidence and not to follow the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution policy against Falun Gong while deciding the verdict against Mr. Xu.
Mr. Xu, a retired middle school teacher in his 60s, was arrested on the evening of April 23, 2019, along with his son Mr. Xu Mingqing and daughter-in-law Ms. Zhou Wanqin. The police ransacked his place and confiscated his Falun Gong books and related materials.
The police took the three across town and took photos of them at various places, including by a telephone pole. The police then alleged that Mr. Xu had posted Falun Gong information on the pole and other places.
While his son and daughter-in-law were released after being detained nearly a month, the elder Mr. Xu remained in Huili County Detention Center.
Mr. Xu was later indicted by prosecutor Pan Liping of Huili Procuratorate. He appeared in the Huili County Court on October 23, 2019. His lawyer entered a not-guilty plea for him and he also testified in his own defense.
Mr. Xu used to suffer from extreme itchiness of the skin. He tried many medications, but none had much effect. The condition went away shortly after he learned Falun Gong in 1996.
Because he didn’t give up his faith after the persecution began in 1999, Mr. Xu was repeatedly harassed and had his home ransacked.
The police confiscated his ID for two months in August 2008, during the Beijing Olympics, using the excuse that it was to prevent him from going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.
Mr. Xu was arrested and detained for two weeks in April 2017 after inviting locals to attend a court hearing for another Falun Gong practitioner.