(Minghui.org) Ms. Liu Yanmei, 75, in Dongying City, Shandong Province was sent to the Shandong Province Women’s Prison on July 17, 2023 after being sentenced to seven years for practicing her faith, Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since July 1999.
Ms. Liu Yanmei, a retiree of Shengli Oil Field, was arrested on April 23, 2021 and indicted seven months later. The Dongyin District Court sentenced her to seven years on December 20, 2022. Ms. Liu filed an appeal with the Dongying City Intermediate Court eight days later and requested an open hearing. The intermediate court ruled to uphold the original verdict without holding a hearing. It is unclear when exactly the appeals ruling was issued, but she was imprisoned not long after that.
In her appeal, Ms. Liu refuted the trial court’s allegations against her and described how Falun Gong gave her a healthy and happy life.
Wrongful Conviction Violates Chinese Constitution
Ms. Liu was sentenced for violating Article 300 of the Criminal Law, which states that anyone using a “cult” organization to undermine law enforcement must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Ms. Liu argued that China’s law-making body, the People’s Congress, has never enacted any law criminalizing Falun Gong or labeling it a cult. As such, Article 300 did not apply to her case.
During the trial the prosecutor said there was legal basis to try Ms. Liu, and cited a statutory interpretation of Article 300 of the Criminal Law issued by the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate in November 1999. The interpretation requires that anyone practicing or promoting Falun Gong be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
Ms. Liu pointed out that a new statutory interpretation that replaced the 1999 version took effect on February 1, 2017. The new interpretation made no mention of Falun Gong and emphasized that any indictment against someone engaging in a cult must be based on solid legal grounds. Since no enacted law in China labels Falun Gong a cult, Ms. Liu said her conviction that was based on the statutory interpretation of Article 300 failed to stand.
The police and the prosecutor also cited two notices issued by China’s Administration of Press and Publications in July 1999 to ban the publication of Falun Gong books. They claimed that Ms. Liu broke the law by possessing Falun Gong books. She pointed out that the Administration issued a repeal of the ban in 2011 and that it was fully legal for practitioners to own Falun Gong books. As such, the Falun Gong materials confiscated from her should never have been used as admissible evidence to sentence her.
In fact, Article 35 of China’s Constitution states that Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration. Article 36 stipulates that citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief.
Ms. Liu asked in her appeal, “I don’t know which law the police, the prosecutor, and the judge used to arrest, indict, and sentence me?” She concluded that her wrongful conviction violated the Chinese Constitution and she requested that the appeals court overturn the original verdict against her.
She also warned her perpetrators that wrongfully convicting law-abiding citizens would result in consequences and she urged them to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners like her.
Pill-popper Becomes a Caregiver
Ms. Liu said in her appeal letter that she used to suffer from many diseases, including arthritis, frozen shoulder, hemorrhoids, slipped disk, severe gynecological diseases, complications from childbirth, anemia, and dizziness. She felt cold all the time, and her legs and feet were so swollen and painful that she could not wear shoes and had difficulty walking.
“My coworkers knew me as a pill-popper, and I was always the one being cared for by others,” she wrote.
However, she said her encounter with Falun Gong in 1998 changed all that, and Ms. Liu became so healthy and energetic that she could care for others. Below is an excerpt from her appeal letter:
“My symptoms worsened in 1998 and my whole body was in unbearable pain. I couldn’t lift my arms or turn my neck. I then remembered that someone had introduced me to Falun Gong before. I decided to give it a try, since nothing else seemed to help.
“In just six months, all my symptoms disappeared without medical treatment! Once a die-hard atheist, I was totally convinced of Falun Gong’s miraculous healing power. Moreover, I also became more outgoing and cheerful. I no longer held grudges towards my husband and mother-in-law. I was happy, fully of energy, and content every day.
“Once a long-time patient, I was finally able to give back and care for others. My mother became paralyzed on one side of her body at the time, so I invited her and my father to live with me. I cared for them in my home for one year before moving in with them at their home in Qingdao, where I stayed for a whole year.
“While in Qingdao, I heard that my former middle school homeroom teacher had been ill for several years. His wife passed away and he had no children to care for him. His financial situation also didn’t allow him to hire a maid to help around the house.
“I went to visit him and noted his home was very dirty with all windows shut tight. I made two more trips to his home. During the three visits, I thoroughly cleaned his entire house and removed all the clutter (with his permission). I also replaced unsafe electrical outlets, washed his dishes, and did his laundry. I fixed his windows too so they can now open and close without any trouble.
“He couldn’t believe I was able to do what I did all by myself so easily. I told him that Falun Gong turned me into a healthy and energetic person. He later called me to say that it felt so good to be able to open his windows and breathe fresh air for the first time in years.
“I wouldn’t have been able to help my former teacher had I not practiced Falun Gong. Instead I would have been just like him waiting for someone to take care of me.”
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