(Minghui.org) A 58-year-old Huludao City, Liaoning Province resident was admitted to the Liaoning Province Second Women’s Prison in early August 2023 after she lost her appeal against a 3.5-year prison sentence for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Li Guihua was arrested on March 17, 2022 and later released due to a local COVID-19 outbreak. She was taken back into custody on January 11, 2023 and sentenced to prison on April 28. It is unclear when her prison term started.
Details of Arrest and Prosecution
Ms. Li developed a severe digestion problem in 1992 and always struggled with a bloated stomach. A few years ago, she heard about Falun Gong’s health benefits and took up the practice. Shortly after, she recovered.
Ms. Li and another Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Gao Zuokui were arrested on March 17, 2022, after being reported for giving some villagers informational materials about Falun Gong. Due to the local pandemic outbreak, the Huludao City Detention Center refused to admit them and they were released. Both practitioners lived away from home to avoid being arrested again, only to be put on the police’s wanted list.
While Mr. Gao was still on the run from the police, Ms. Li was arrested at her daughter’s home on January 11, 2023 and taken to the Huludao City Detention Center. Prosecutor Long Dan of the Lianshan District Procuratorate indicted her and moved her case to the Lianshan District Court.
Ms. Li appeared in court on April 28, 2023. Prosecutor Long accused her of “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used to criminalize Falun Gong practitioners. But he failed to provide any evidence to support the charge. He also remained silent when Ms. Li’s family defenders said that no law in China has ever identified Falun Gong as a cult.
Ms. Li’s family defenders pointed out that as a private citizen, she didn’t have any power to undermine the enforcement of the law, as only those in power could have the authority to influence law enforcement. The family defenders also emphasized that the prosecutor failed to present any evidence to show what cult organization Ms. Li allegedly used to undermine what law enforcement, or cause what damage to any individual or society as a whole. They said that if the prosecutor couldn’t answer any of these questions, then the charge was invalid.
The 30 pieces of supporting video files and documents prepared by Ms. Li’s family defenders were confiscated by judge Zhang Liang, with the excuse that those were Falun Gong promotional materials.
With the final statement from prosecutor Long, “The facts of the crime are clear and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” the judge adjourned the hearing around noon. He announced two hours later that Ms. Li was sentenced to 3.5 years with a 10,000-yuan fine. Ms. Li’s family suspected that the verdict had already been determined before the trial. She appealed to the Huludao City Intermediate Court, which ruled to uphold her original verdict on June 25.
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