(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhao Feiqiong was tried on August 2 for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.
Ms. Zhao Feiqiong
This is not the first time that the Xuanwei City resident was targeted for her faith. She had already been arrested five times and incarcerated for a total of 10 years in the past.
During her latest trial, the public prosecutor ridiculed her involuntary absence from her family life and questioned if she was a good daughter and a good mother.
Ms. Zhao, 46, refuted, “It is the government that deprived me of the right to be a daughter and a mother! I’ve been repeatedly arrested simply because of my spiritual belief. I broke no law and should be acquitted!”
The judge adjourned the trial without issuing a verdict. Ms. Zhao remains detained following her arrest last December.
Lawyer Temporarily Blocked Outside
Ms. Zhao’s lawyer was temporarily blocked from entering the courtroom on August 2.
The bailiffs had tried to stop the lawyer from taking his briefcase and laptop inside and demanded he use a court-assigned laptop. The lawyer emphasized it is his legal right to use his own laptop during the trial.
The bailiffs relented after a brief standoff.
Questionable Prosecution Evidence
The prosecution evidence included Falun Gong materials confiscated from Ms. Zhao’s handbag and her home, as well as a statement issued by Yunnan Province Public Security Bureau labeling the items “propaganda materials promoting a cult.”
The lawyer argued that those items were his client’s lawful possessions and posed no harm or threat to anyone. He further pointed out that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong and that his client had every right to promote the lawful practice. He also questioned the legality of the statement, as there was no signature or stamp.
Prosecution Witness Testifies for Ms. Zhao’s Character
The prosecutor cited two witnesses’ testimonies to try to prove Ms. Zhao’s crime.
He first read aloud a statement written by Ms. Zhao’s manager, Ms. Ge Minfang, who said she once saw Ms. Zhao talk to people about Falun Gong.
The lawyer didn’t deny the fact and went on to read the rest of Ms. Ge’s statement, “Through my interactions with [Ms. Zhao], I found she is a very kind and trustworthy person, so I asked her to manage the daily operation of my jewelry store and be in charge of the money that comes in every day.”
The lawyer argued, “This part, which the prosecutor chose not to read, is the key of Ms. Ge’s testimonial, which intended to show that Ms. Zhao is a reliable person!”
Second Testimonial Obtained Months Before Ms. Zhao’s Arrest
The prosecutor then produced a second witness testimony, which alleged that Ms. Zhao gave Ms. Lv Qingfen a copy of a Falun Gong book and two DVDs on April 7, 2014.
The lawyer pointed out the testimonial was obtained on April 25, 2014, long before his client’s latest arrest on December 28, 2015. By law, the second testimony cannot be admissible evidence against his client.
Lawyer Demands Acquittal
The prosecutor recommended a heavy sentence to Ms. Zhao on the basis of her past “offenses” (referring to her past incarceration for her belief).
The lawyer refuted, “She should never have been sent to labor camps or prisons for her faith in the past! Likewise, she shouldn’t have had to stand trial again for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of belief. I demand she be released immediately!”
Related Reports:Ms. Zhao Feiqiong, Arrested Again After Being Illegally Imprisoned for Ten Years, Recounts Her Fifteen Years of PersecutionInjected with Unknown Drugs in Prison, Locked Up in a Mental Hospital"Small Stool" Torture Method Used on Practitioners in Yunnan Province Second Women's Prison
