(Minghui.org) The Nanchang City Intermediate Court ruled in February 2024 to uphold the wrongful conviction of a local resident for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Zhou Qunhui, 67, was arrested on March 15, 2023, and sentenced to three years and two months on December 9, 2023. She was never given a copy of her indictment. Her family was also kept in the dark about her status of her case and was not allowed to hire a lawyer. After her wrongful conviction, they managed to hire a lawyer.
The lawyer read from her case file that her husband was listed as the sole prosecution witness. Her husband denied having ever said anything that would incriminate her when the police interrogated him.
The lawyer met with judge Yin Guofu (+86-19170082625) of the Nanchang City Intermediate Court and prosecutor Dong of the Nanchang City Procuratorate after the Chinese New Year (February 10) in 2024. He gave his legal opinion and demanded that his client’s conviction be overturned. Yin said he had no say over the appeals outcome and issued a pre-determined ruling days later that the guilty verdict would stand.
It is unclear when Ms. Zhou will be transferred to prison from the Nanchang City Intermediate Court.
Arrested on March 15, 2023
Ms. Zhou was arrested at home on the afternoon of March 15, 2023, by several officers from the Gangcheng Police Station and two staff members of the local residential committee. They claimed that someone reported her for printing Falun Dafa informational materials at home. Her printers, laptop, Falun Dafa books, and collections of experience sharing articles written by other practitioners were confiscated.
A police officer said during the raid, “This is the first time I’ve done this. I’m learning on the job.” Another one said, “We know that Falun Dafa is good, but you aren’t allowed to practice it.”
Family Shocked to Learn of Two Secret Hearings
After the police took Ms. Zhou to the Nanchang City Detention Center, they never updated her family about her case. In October 2023, her family learned that she had been indicted and her case was now in the Xihu District Court. When they went to the court to ask about her, they were told that presiding judge Zhang Yujuan (+86-18070080321) had already held two hearings on the case. When they asked Zhang about Ms. Zhou’s prison sentence, Zhang replied, “The verdict is in the drawer. It will be between one and three years. You aren’t allowed to hire a lawyer or appeal. It’s useless and a waste of money.”
Ms. Zhou’s family was shocked to witness how Zhang could be so unscrupulous in wrongfully sentencing a person for merely practicing her faith. They asked her why she didn’t hold a public hearing, why she didn’t inform them of the hearings, and why she didn’t allow them to hire a lawyer. They filed a complaint against Zhang on November 25, 2023, but nothing came of it.
Secretly Sentenced
On December 9, 2023, judge Zhang announced that Ms. Zhou was sentenced to three years and two months. Her family wasn’t informed of that hearing, either. They only found out about it when they went to the court to inquire about her.
The family also learned that the sentencing hearing was held virtually, even though there was no pandemic restrictions at the time. Ms. Zhou later told them that the audio quality was very poor, and she couldn’t hear anything the judge said during the hearing. She also said she was given a court-appointed lawyer. Since she couldn’t hear clearly due to the audio issue, she did not know if the lawyer had entered a guilty plea for her.
Ms. Zhou’s family hired a lawyer to appeal her wrongful conviction. The lawyer reviewed her case file at the Nanchang City Intermediate Court and noted that the Nanggang Police Station listed her husband as the prosecution’ sole witness. Her husband told the lawyer that the police threatened to arrest him when he refused to sign the interrogation records. Out of fear, he signed, but he never gave any testimony that would incriminate his wife.
Related report:
Chinese Judge: "You Aren't Allowed to Hire a Lawyer or Appeal; It's a Waste of Money"
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