Three Inner Mongolia Residents Lose Appeal Against Wrongful Convictions for Their Faith

(Minghui.org) The Baotou City Intermediate Court ruled on March 25, 2024, to uphold the guilty verdicts of three residents for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since July 1999.

The three Falun Gong practitioners were all arrested on March 29, 2023, and sentenced on December 21, 2023. Mr. Wang Ying was sentenced to four years and two months with a 20,000-yuan fine; Mr. Zhang Ruitong was given four years and a 18,000-yuan fine; and Ms. Meng Lili was handed three years and three months with a 10,000-yuan fine. 

During the practitioners’ appeals hearing on March 20, 2024, they requested that their wrongful convictions be overturned, but the intermediate court ruled against them five days later.

Presiding Judge Niu Huiqing ([phone]), judges Zhai Wei ([phone], [phone]) and Wang Yanru ([phone]), clerk Li Huifang, and prosecutor Tan Jing ([phone], [phone]) signed the appeals ruling. 

This is not the first time that Mr. Zhang and Mr. Wang have been targeted for their faith. Mr. Zhang was previously twice jailed for a total of 12 years on top of an unknown term of forced labor. Mr. Wang’s latest sentencing was preceded by a two-year prison term. 

Arrests

Mr. Wang and Ms. Meng went to visit Mr. Zhang on March 29, 2023. As soon as they arrived, officers from the Tiexi Police Station showed up and arrested them. The police revealed that they received a tip from the residential committee in Mr. Zhang’s neighborhood, which had been monitoring his daily activities.

The three practitioners were interrogated at the police station until the next morning. The police did not provide them with any food or water. Their homes were ransacked while they were held at the police station. The police searched Mr. Wang’s home twice, confiscating his Falun Gong books, laptop, printer and many informational materials about Falun Gong. All the items confiscated from the practitioners were later submitted as prosecution evidence to charge them with “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used by the CCP to sentence Falun Gong practitioners.

Mr. Wang and Mr. Zhang were later taken to the Donghe District Detention Center. Ms. Meng was kept at the Guchengwan Detention Center. The Donghe District Police Department submitted their cases to the Donghe District Procuratorate on April 25. Prosecutor Guo Zhijun ([phone]) approved their arrests on April 28 and indicted them on September 28.

Mr. Wang’s family hired a lawyer in July 2023. When the lawyer called the Donghe District Detention Center to make appointments to visit Mr. Wang, he was repeatedly denied. He later went to the detention center to inquire about the situation and was told that the police didn’t allow him to meet with Mr. Wang, because his client still refused to plead guilty or sign a statement to renounce Falun Gong.

The lawyer filed a complaint with the procuratorate, which mediated the situation and instructed the detention center to approve the lawyer’s visitation request. Mr. Wang told the lawyer during the visit that because he didn’t plead guilty, the detention center guards prohibited him from buying daily necessities.

Sentenced to Prison After Four Hearings

The Donghe District Court held four hearings on the practitioners’ cases on November 17, 27 and 28, and December 14, 2023. The practitioners’ lawyers entered not guilty pleas for them and the practitioners also testified in their own defense. Prosecutor Guo recommended they be given heavy terms. Judge Zhi Fei ([phone], [phone]) announced the verdicts on December 21, 2023.

Related Reports:

Baotou City, Inner Mongolia: Three Locals Sentenced to Prison for Practicing Falun Gong

Twice Jailed Man Faces Indictment Again for His Faith

Inner Mongolia Practitioners Mr. Wang Ying and Ms. Wang Hongling Sentenced to Prison