The Facts of the Persecution of Falun Gong -- January 3, 2009

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content


  • Mr. Yan Shoulin Arrested for Defending Falun Gong Practitioners in Court
    • An attorney who defended practitioners in court loses his license to practice. Others involved, including Mr. Yan Shoulin, are arrested themselves.

    Mr. Yan Shoulin Arrested for Defending Falun Gong Practitioners in Court

    On the afternoon of December 2, 2008, Falun Gong practitioners Mr. Yan Shoulin, Ms. Yang Chunmei, and her younger brother Yang Bin from Dengshahe Town, Jinzhou District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, were arrested. Yang Bin has since been released and sent home, Yang Chunmei is still being illegally detained at the Liangjiadian Police Station, and Yan Shoulin's whereabouts are unknown.

    In March 2008, Ms. Gu Li and Ms. Qiu Shuping from Dengshahe Town, Jinzhou District of Dalian City were arrested by the local authorities while telling people the facts about the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong. On August 27, 2008, the CCP-controlled court put them on trial. Mr. Yan Shoulin defended Ms. Gu Li and Attorney Wang Yonghang from Dalian City defended Qiu Shuping.

    They presented their defense arguments in court. Their main points were: (1) The court charged Ms. Qiu Shuping of "sabotaging law enforcement." However, Ms. Qiu did not know which law she sabotaged. Nor did she know how she sabotaged its enforcement. Even the judge and prosecutors do not know which law Ms. Qiu had sabotaged. (2) There was no criminal act.

    However, practitioner Gu Li was sentenced to three years in prison and Ms. Qiu Shuping to four years.

    After the trial, Mr. Yan Shoulin was frequently followed. Attorney Wang Yonghang's license to practice law was taken away by the government, and the law firm he worked for terminated his contract.

    At around 1:30 p.m. on December 2, 2008, Mr. Yan and his family were working in their shop when a group of unidentified individuals broke in, started punching and kicking Mr. Yan, and then arrested him. His wife Yang Chumei protested the violence and the arrest. She was then taken to the nearby police station by four plain-clothes policemen. Yang Chunmei's younger brother Yang Bin was also arrested.

    The whole incident lasted almost three hours, during which time their neighbors and passersby condemned the police officers' brutal behavior. One of the police officers flashed his official ID badge and threatened on-lookers not to get involved or get close.