(Minghui.org) An ambulance pulled into Xiong County Court in Hebei Province on June 27, 2018. Two bailiffs carried an old man out and took him into the courtroom.
Mr. Li Chengwu's family didn't recognize him until his name was called out. He is only in his fifties, but he looked like he was in his eighties.
Mr. Li was so weak that he couldn't utter a word. As soon as the prosecutor finished reading the indictment against him, the presiding judge adjourned the session.
Mr. Li was returned to the Xiong County Detention Center, where he has been held since his latest arrest in early May 2018.
44-day Abuse Following Earlier Arrest
Mr. Li's latest arrest stemmed from an earlier arrest on August 29, 2016. He was targeted for talking to people about the Chinese communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong, a mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
The guards at Xiong County Detention Center beat Mr. Li so badly that two of his ribs were broken and his face became swollen. They released him on bail 44 days later, after noticing that he was in serious condition.
Mr. Li was emaciated and appeared to be disoriented when his family picked him up. He didn’t fully regain his memory until about two weeks after being released. Only then did his family learn what he had gone through during his detention.
It took Mr. Li more than a year to recover from his injuries.
Efforts to Sue Responsible Police
Guo Junxue, head of the Xiong County Domestic Security Office, called Mr. Li on March 9, 2018 and asked him to visit the office. Mr. Li went, only to see Fan Ying of the Xiong County Procuratorate waiting there. Fan gave him a copy of the indictment against him.
Mr. Li couldn't believe he'd have to face prosecution again, given that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. He filed a complaint against Guo with the Xiong County Court. Li Tiebi (no relation to Mr. Li) of the court signed the mailed complaint but refused to handle the case.
Mr. Li tried to mail his complaint to the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate, but Guo ordered the local postal office to intercept the complaint letters.
Mr. Li went to a neighboring county to mail out his complaints. In order to avoid further persecution, he left Xiong County and wandered around. Guo put him on the wanted list.
Arrested Again in Hometown
Mr. Li returned to his hometown in Heilongjiang Province on April 11, 2018, ahead of his son's engagement celebration. Having been tracked by police, he was seized by his hometown police on May 1. Guo traveled to Heilongjiang on May 6 to take him back to Xiong County.
Mr. Li's family met with Guo many times to request his release. Guo said he'd allow them to meet with Mr. Li first, but they were never able to see him at the detention center. They overheard police conversations and learned that Mr. Li had been on a hunger strike since his arrest. They knew he was in poor health but they were still shocked to see him totally unrecognizable at the court hearing on June 27.
Presiding judge Chen Chunhua: +86-17731207278Prosecutor Fan Ying: +86-13930260012Guo Junxue: +86-13230226585
Related Report:Hebei Man Recalls 44 Days of Abuse At the Hands of CCP Agents
