(Minghui.org) A woman in her seventies was recently tried for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Chai Shuzhen, a resident of Qianxi County, Hebei Province, was arrested on July 12, 2019, after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong at a farmers' market.
She was taken to the Tangshan City No. 1 Detention Center on August 1, 2019. The Qianxi County Procuratorate approved her arrest four days later.
She lost a significant amount of weight after three months of detention before appearing in Zunhua City Court on October 9, 2019. Her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.
The prosecution evidence included Falun Gong informational booklets confiscated from her purse during her arrest.
Ms. Chai argued that the booklets merely contained information about Falun Gong, which caused no harm to anyone.
Her lawyer emphasized that no law in China has ever criminalized Falun Gong. He also raised questions about the uncorroborated witness account, as one of the witnesses, Li Xiaoming, didn't see Ms. Chai passing out the materials himself, but had only heard people talking about it.
Ms. Chai shared in her closing statement how her heart condition and leg pain disappeared after taking up Falun Gong. The presiding judge frequently interrupted her.
The judge adjourned the hearing and said he would discuss the case with the collegiate bench.
Related reports:
Hebei Woman, in Her 70s, Faces Trial for Her Faith
Ms. Chai Shuzhen Arrested Again for Telling People about the Persecution of Falun Gong
