(Minghui.org) The Maoming City Intermediate Court in Guangdong Province on December 27, 2023 rejected a local woman’s appeal against a six-year wrongful prison term for practicing Falun Gong. Ms. Wu Youqing was hospitalized in late November 2023 after her condition became serious as a result of a weeks-long hunger strike to protest the persecution. It’s not clear whether she is still hospitalized and whether the authorities plan to admit her to prison anytime soon.
Ms. Wu, 57, was arrested on September 26, 2022, after plainclothes officers saw her distributing Falun Gong informational materials outside of a coffee shop. Her bag and electric bike were searched. More than ten officers, including two armed officers with riot shields, took her to her home in handcuffs, after midnight. Her sister, who shared the residence with her, was terrified and refused to open the door. The police damaged the door with a metal object and broke in. They ransacked their home until 3 a.m. before moving on to Ms. Wu’s other residence. Her computer, printer, portable hard drives, flash drives, TransFlash cards – also known as micro Secure Digital (SD) cards, Falun Gong books and informational materials were confiscated.
Ms. Wu was put on criminal detention on September 28 and taken to the Xinyi Detention Center. Because she did the Falun Gong exercises on October 4, a guard surnamed He shackled Ms. Wu for seven days. He also prohibited her from buying daily necessities with the money her family deposited into her detention center account. Inmate Wu Cailan humiliated Ms. Wu in front of more than 20 people by wiping her mouth with a soiled sanitary pad. Ms. Wu held a hunger strike for 30 days to protest the abuse.
The Gaozhou City Procuratorate approved Ms. Wu’s arrest on October 12, 2022 and moved her case to the Maonan District Procuratorate on November 22. When her lawyer went to the Maonan District Procuratorate on November 28, 2022 to review her case documents, he was told that prosecutors Dai Jianlan and Huang Mengyuan had already indicted her three days ago and moved her case to the Maonan District Court. Ms. Wu was also transferred to the Maoming City No. 1 Detention Center not long after.
Presiding judge Tan Wei held a hearing in the detention center on June 29, 2023. Prosecutor Dai, judges Ke Xuejun and Pan Chuanghua, and clerk Tu Yuan were also present at the trial. Ms. Wu’s two lawyers entered a not-guilty plea for her and she also demanded an acquittal.
Judge Ke went to the detention center on September 22, 2023 to announce a guilty verdict against Ms. Wu. The verdict had been issued on August 30, 2023. Ms. Wu’s two lawyers were unable to attend the sentencing hearing due to time conflicts. Her family noted that the court bailiffs intentionally tugged Ms. Wu's handcuffs and shackles back and forth to inflict pain. The family was upset but dared not confront the bailiffs for fear they would retaliate against Ms. Wu.
After her wrongful conviction, Ms. Wu went on a hunger strike again on November 13, 2023. After about two weeks, she became so weak that she required hospitalization. She was taken to the Maonan District People’s Hospital. It is unclear whether her family was able to visit her after the authorities notified them of her condition.
The Maoming City Intermediate Court denied Ms. Wu’s lawyer’s request to have an open hearing of her appeal case. Presiding judge Zhang Chi ruled on December 27, 2023 to uphold her original verdict. Judges Zhang Jinjie and Liang Dongqing, as well as judge’s assistant Lin Xiaoqun and court clerk Huang Miao also signed the ruling.
7-year Prior Incarceration and Family Broken
Ms. Wu formerly worked for the Gaozhou Rural Commercial Bank. She took up Falun Gong in June 1997 and soon saw her chronic enteritis disappear.
Because she remained firm in Falun Gong after the persecution started, Ms. Wu was fired by her workplace, given three years of forced labor on January 27, 2005 and sentenced to four years on December 13, 2013. Her husband divorced her while she was serving her prison term.
Related Reports:
Case Against Guangdong Woman for Practicing Falun Gong Put on Hold
Guangdong Woman in Serious Condition After Being Denied Medical Bail During Month-long Hunger Strike
Six Falun Gong Practitioners Harassed Prior to Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangdong Province
Inhuman Persecution at Guangdong Women's Prison
Four Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Guangdong Province
Family Member Warns Presiding Judge, “You Will Be Held Responsible”
Falun Gong Practitioners in Guangdong Province Convicted on Falsified Evidence
Three Falun Gong Practitioners Illegally Tried in Guangdong Province
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