(Minghui.org) Mr. Zhu Rui from Beijing was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 14,000 yuan for telling people about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of his faith, Falun Gong, a mind-body practice which is based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Mr. Zhu Rui, 30, who works at the Chaoyang Hospital, was stopped at a subway station by several officers while on his way to work on April 21, 2021. They targeted him because he was reported for carrying a device that could send information about Falun Gong to people’s cellphones.
That morning, the police ransacked his home, confiscating three laptops, two computers, five portable hard drives, five cell phones (including two broken ones), Falun Gong books, and other personal belongings.
Mr. Zhu was first taken to the Pingxifu Police Station and then transferred to the Beijing City No. 3 Detention Center the next day. He was taken to the Haidian District Detention Center on July 29, 2021, one day after the police submitted his case to the Haidian District Procuratorate.
The Haidian District Court held two hearings of Mr. Zhu’s case on February 6 and May 12, 2023, and convicted him on June 20.
Due to the poor living conditions and abuse while he was in custody, Mr. Zhu contracted tuberculosis and developed a liver problem. He was admitted to the Beijing Public Security Hospital (also known as the Beijing No. 2 Detention Center, used to hold detainees in need of medical treatment) around April 2023. It’s not clear how long he was kept in the hospital or whether he fully recovered at the time of this report.
Testifying Against Police and the Procuratorate During the First Hearing
During the first hearing at the Haidian District Court on February 6, 2023, Mr. Zhu and his lawyer testified against the police and the Haidian District Procuratorate for arresting and indicting him without any legal basis and violating legal procedures.
The arresting officers from the Pingxifu Police Station, including chief Liu and officer Zhao Hui, raided Mr. Zhu’s home without showing a search warrant. They also did not produce a list of confiscated items as required by law.
The Haidian District Procuratorate charged Mr. Zhu with using a “cult organization” to undermine law enforcement, a standard pretext used by the communist regime to frame and imprison Falun Gong practitioners.
No law in China, however, has ever criminalized Falun Gong or labeled it a cult. Additionally, there was no evidence that Mr. Zhu harmed any individual or society at large, much less undermining law enforcement. He and his lawyer both emphasized that the procuratorate failed to fulfill it’s duty to investigate the case against him and he was indicted without any legal basis.
Prosecutors Dong Liyan, Zhao Yi, and Shen Zhiguo, who appeared remotely during the first hearing, said the Xinnuo Forensic Company verified that the items confiscated from Mr. Zhu’s home were proof that he broke the law. His lawyer refuted that the key issue to be determined in the case should be whether Falun Gong was a cult given the allegations against him. The forensic company was in no position to make such a determination and the items they examined were all Mr. Zhu’s lawful assets and could not be used to incriminate him.
The prosecutors alleged that Mr. Zhu spent more than 500 hours sending Falun Gong information to the public from the special device. They, however, couldn’t show how they arrived at the number of 500 hours. Mr. Zhu’s lawyer pointed out that the number was fabricated. Wang Chong, the presiding judge, asked if the prosecutors would like to respond to the lawyer. They said no.
Judge Wang also asked Mr. Zhu why he was arrested in the first place and who taught him to do the Falun Gong exercises. He replied,
“I decided to practice Falun Gong on November 5, 2017. No one taught me how to do the exercises. I used an anti-blockade software to access YouTube and saw information about Falun Gong. It was totally different from what I was taught in school. Falun Gong teaches people to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to be a good person.
“I used to suffer from rhinitis, intestinal spasms, and hematuria. I was also introverted and had low self-esteem. After I took up Falun Gong, I soon recovered from my illnesses and became cheerful and confident. I also quit my addiction to video games and turned into a more conscientious worker. My own experience shows that Falun Gong is good, not evil.”
Admitted to Police Hospital While Awaiting Second Hearing
Mr. Zhu’s lawyer received a notice from the Haidian District Procuratorate on March 29, 2023, saying that they escalated the charges against Mr. Zhu. But the procuratorate did not list the escalated charges. They only said the circumstances surrounding Mr. Zhu’s case were particularly serious.
In mid-April 2023, Mr. Zhu’s mother learned that he developed tuberculosis and liver problems and was admitted to the Beijing Public Security Hospital.
She called prosecutor Dong and complained, “My son was healthy during the required physical examination before his detention, but after he was persecuted he is sick.” Dong remained silent.
She also called judge Wang and urged him to stop persecuting her son. Wang immediately said, “Are you threatening me?”
Wang scheduled a second hearing for May 11, but later changed it to May 8, before settling on May 12.
Sentenced to Seven Years after Second Hearing at Police Hospital
The second hearing was held at the Beijing Public Security Hospital on May 12, 2023. Wang asked if Mr. Zhu intended to keep practicing Falun Gong. He said of course because it helped him quit video games and restored his health.
Mr. Zhu’s family was not allowed to attend the hearing. Wang ended the session in just a few minutes. Judges Bai Yongfu and Tang Fulai were also present to assist Wang in both hearings. They sentenced Mr. Zhu on June 20.
Parents’ Unsuccessful Efforts to Stop Son’s Indictment
Prior to Mr. Zhu’s indictment, his parents sought to have him released unconditionally, to no avail.
Mr. Zhu’s mother met with officer Xu Bingdong who was in charge of his case on July 12, 2021. Xu insisted that Mr. Zhu violated the law by practicing Falun Gong, despite the lack of any legal basis for the persecution.
Mr. Zhu’s mother also called officer Zhao Hui, but he claimed that she dialed the wrong number. She then called the Pingxifu Police Station and the person who picked up the phone claimed that they did not have an officer named Zhao Hui.
Mr. Zhu’s mother called the police station again at 9 a.m. on July 13 and insisted on meeting with officer Zhao. An officer called back two hours later and said she could meet with Zhao at 9 a.m. two days later.
When Mr. Zhu’s mother arrived at the police station on July 15, Zhao interrogated her for one and a half hours, instead of addressing her concern about her son’s case.
On July 19, Mr. Zhu’s mother filed a complaint against Xu, Zhao and police chief Sun for wrongfully handling her son’s case.
One day after Mr. Zhu’s case was submitted to the Haidian District Procuratorate on July 28, he was transferred to the Haidian District Detention Center.
Mr. Zhu’s parents wrote a letter to prosecutor Dong on August 8, urging her not to indict their son. When they did not receive a response, they called Dong on August 27. Dong refused to meet with them, claiming that she had no say in Mr. Zhu’s case.
When Mr. Zhu’s father said that practicing Falun Gong does not violate any law in China, Dong stopped him and said he should not discuss the law with her. Dong also said that she would indict Mr. Zhu in a few days.
On September 9, 2021, Mr. Zhu’s family filed another complaint against Dong for abusing the law in handling Mr. Zhu’s case. The family also demanded that Dong withdraw the indictment against Mr. Zhu, but to no avail.
Despite the family’s tireless effort to advocate for Mr. Zhu, the authorities still proceeded and prosecuted his case.
Related Report:
Despite Family’s Tireless Efforts, Beijing Resident to Stand Trial for His Faith
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