(Minghui.org) A 49-year-old man from Shulan City, Jilin Province was sentenced to 3 years on January 8, 2015, four months after his arrest for distributing literature exposing the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party.
Mr. Han Fu's defense lawyer Tang Tianhao didn't learn of his client's trial or verdict until Mr. Han's family found out what happened and told him on January 15. Mr. Tang, a lawyer from Beijing, traveled to Shulan City three days later.
When Mr. Tang met his client the next morning at Nanshan Detention Center, Mr. Han confirmed the verdict and complained that no family or legal counsel was allowed to support or defend him at the 20-minute hearing.
The person in charge of Mr. Han's case at Shulan City Court, however, denied any knowledge of a defense lawyer. Mr. Tang shot back, “I sent my legal representation documents to the court by express mail. Moreover, Mr. Han Fu told me that he had informed the court of his use of a defense lawyer.”
Mr. Tang continued, “Well, I will now give you another copy of my legal representation documents, and I demand that the court declare a mistrial and retry my client.” However, the person in charge refused to accept the documents.
Mr. Han, 49, is a farmer from Xihe Township, Shulan City. After seeing his physical ailments disappear shortly after he began practicing Falun Gong in 2003, he started telling people how wrong the CCP is in persecuting this life-changing practice.
Mr. Han was arrested on September 8, 2014, for distributing Falun Gong materials. Over 400 villagers from Xihe Township have signed a petition to request the authorities to release him. However, officials from the Shulan City 610 Office responded to the petition by threatening the villagers and tried to force Mr. Han's family to dismiss the attorney that they had hired to defend him.
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