(Minghui.org) While Ms. Duan Zaiying is serving a 3.5-year prison term, her family filed a motion to reconsider the rejection of her appeal with a high court on her behalf.
Ms. Duan, a 75-year-old resident of Chongqing, was arrested on December 20, 2023, for talking to people about Falun Gong at a local farmers’ market. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Duan was released on bail that night but was taken back into custody eight days later. Her case was later assigned to Jiulongpo District, which has been designated to handle Falun Gong cases in the region. She appeared in the Jiulongpo District Court on June 5, 2024 and was sentenced to 3.5 years on September 26.
Ms. Duan appealed with the Chongqing Fifth Intermediate Court. Her husband acted as her non-lawyer family defender. After he submitted the defense statement, the appeals court refused to have an open hearing of her case as requested and ruled to uphold her original verdict.
Ms. Duan was soon admitted to the local prison after losing her appeal. To continue seeking justice, her family has filed a motion on her behalf to reconsider her case with the Chongqing High Court.
Prior to her current unlawful imprisonment, Ms. Duan was previously targeted numerous times, resulting in three forced labor terms totaling 5.5 years and three prior prison sentences totaling 6.5 years.
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