(Minghui.org) A Tangshan City, Hebei Province resident in his 70s is appealing against the ten-year sentence imposed on him for practicing Falun Gong.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
A group of officers broke into Mr. Liu Weili’s home at 6 a.m. on August 12, 2020. After taking him to the Nuzhizhai Police Station, the remaining officers ransacked his home and confiscated his Falun Gong books, photo of Falun Gong’s founder and over 2,300 copies of Falun Gong booklets.
When the police took Mr. Liu to the hospital for a physical examination, the doctor found an extremely slow heart beat. Fearing that he may develop a serious condition, the police didn’t take him to the local detention center, but sent him home at night and put him under house arrest.
On the same day, the police in Tangshan arrested over 50 practitioners and ransacked their homes. While most of them were later released, the police submitted cases against the remaining 13 practitioners, including Mr. Liu, to the Luannan County Court.
The Luannan County Court held a joint hearing of the practitioners’ cases on July 20, 2021 and rushed through an originally planned two-day session in half a day.
Despite the fact that Mr. Liu rejected the court appointed lawyer and requested to defend himself, the judge still arranged a lawyer, whom Mr. Liu had never met before, to represent him in court. The judge also constantly interrupted Mr. Liu when he defended himself.
The judge announced the practitioners’ verdicts at the end of the trial: Mr. Liu was sentenced to ten years, Ms. Zhang Zhilan to seven years, Ms. Tong Xiulan to three years, Mr. Zuo Desheng to two years and six months, Mr. Hou Jianguang to one year, Mr. Wang Baozhu to eleven months, both Mr. Lu Lifa and Ms. Bi Guanqin to six months and Ms. Cui Shuyu to one year with two years’ probation. The terms of Ms. Liu Jinying, Ms. Li Yuying and Ms. Hu Yincang remain to be investigated.
Ms. Wang Huilin (Mr. Zuo’s wife) suffered a medical condition on her way to the court and the judge went to her home on August 10 to announce a 6.5-year term against her.
Becoming a Better Person After Practicing Falun Gong
Mr. Liu used to care very much about personal gain. While working in a factory, he often had conflicts with his co-workers. At home, he fought with his wife. As a result of his bad temper, he suffered from severe stomach problems at a young age.
After taking up Falun Gong, Mr. Liu understood that everything has karmic causes behind it. He learned to take personal interest lightly and reflect on himself, instead of pointing fingers at others, when conflict arose again. His wife was amazed by his changes and said he became a completely different person.
Mr. Liu also became more considerate and forgiving. He was twice hit by a car. He didn’t seek compensation from the drivers, but let them go.
Related reports:Targeted in a Group Arrest, Six Hebei Residents Sentenced to Up to 10 Years in Prison
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Category: Accounts of Persecution
