(Minghui.org) A Chongqing resident was recently sentenced to two years and eight months for his faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Liu Zhimin was arrested on January 7, 2020, when he and Mr. Yang Dingchan were helping Mr. Wu Shenghua, 79, write calligraphy couplets and giving them away for free before the Chinese New Year. All three men are Falun Gong practitioners.
The police said Zuo Hechang had reported the trio for distributing things about Falun Gong. It was later confirmed that Zuo’s nephew, Zuo Shiyong, had received a Falun Gong booklet from another practitioner. When Zuo Hecheng saw the booklet, he reported Mr. Liu, Mr. Yang, and Mr. Wu, even though they knew nothing about the booklet.
While Mr. Yang and Mr. Wu were released the next day, Mr. Liu was kept in custody. The police accused him of being a repeat offender, because he had been sentenced in the past for practicing Falun Gong. The police also accused Mr. Liu of distributing the Falun Gong materials that other local residents had received from other practitioners.
Mr. Liu appeared in the Jiangbei District Court on October 15. His lawyer entered a not guilty plea for him. He also testified in his own defense.
After the hearing, Mr. Liu’s daughter submitted three witness accounts to the court, with testimonies that Mr. Liu and the other two practitioners only handed out calligraphy couplets at the site, not any Falun Gong materials.
The judge recently announced the verdict against Mr. Liu. He is now preparing to appeal the case.