(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners Dr. Li Yanjun and Ms. Yang Taiying were scheduled to be tried on May 16, 2014 in a Jiangyang District Court. However, the court played games again after abruptly delaying the first trial in March – this time refusing to inform the family members of the trial's location and attempting to have the trial without them.
The trial lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. All of the practitioners' family members were denied entry into the courtroom except for Dr. Li Yanjun's wife. Many people who wanted to watch the trial were blocked at the barrier near the court.
The court did not announce the verdict until ten days later. Dr. Li Yanjun was sentenced to four years, and Ms. Yang Taiying was sentenced to four and a half years.
Court Date Suddenly Rescheduled
Dr. Li Yanjun and Ms. Yang Taiying were illegally arrested on June 26, 2013 because they practice Falun Gong. In February 2014, the Jiangyang Court notified the lawyer that the court date would be around March 4th or 5th. The lawyer said he never received any court notification with a confirmed date.
On March 3, 2014, the lawyer and family members went to Luzhou City to wait for notification from the court. However, the court notified the lawyer suddenly that the court date was delayed. The delayed date was unknown yet.
Read a detailed report at: Court Cancels Associate Professor's Trial on the Morning It Was Scheduled
Court Address Withheld
Afterward, the lawyers received strange court notification saying that the court date would be on May 16. However, the notice did not include the court's address.
The lawyer went to Luzhou City and asked the court the location of the trial. The court refused to give the lawyer the address. They told the lawyer they could pick him up, so he did not need to know the address.
Eventually, the lawyer learned that the trial would be held at the Naxi Detention Center, which was located in a remote rural area.
Prevented from Being Present at the Court
On May 16, many people went to watch the trial; however, the court used various methods to prevent the Falun Gong practitioners' family members and friends from attending.
The plainclothes police set up a barrier outside the detention center and questioned everyone going in the direction of the detention center.
No visitors to the detention center were allowed to get through the road barrier. They were told that the detention center was not accepting any visitors that day.
More than 100 people were blocked at the barrier. The police filmed the people who came to the barrier. The community leaders searched the residents from their area and drove them away from the barrier.
Family Members Blocked
The sister-in-law of Ms. Yang Taiying went to the detention center in the early morning. At first she was told she could come in, but after half an hour, she was suddenly refused entry with the excuse that she was not Ms. Yang's immediate family member.
The sister-in-law argued that each family had two passes to attend the trial, however not even one of Ms. Yang's family was allowed in. Her request was denied.
Some friends of the two practitioners who wanted to attend to the trial were followed until they went back home. They were also photographed.
Practitioner Ms. Liu was detained at home one day before the trial. She was not even allowed to leave her home the next day. Ms. Liu's friend, who came to visit her, was also detained until her colleagues came to pick her up.
At the local gas factory, a worker was not allowed to go to work on the trial date. The worker had to stay at home and help monitor his parents who were Falun Gong practitioners. The worker was threatened with being fired if his parents left home and attended the trial.
Another practitioner, Ms. Zhang, was followed until noon. She could not make her way to the trial in this situation.
Practitioner Ms. Zhao was called to the community center and was not allowed to leave until 10 a.m.
