(Minghui.org) A Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province resident stood trial on March 8, 2024 for her faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Zhou Chunling’s trial stemmed from her arrest on November 9, 2023, while she was working at a fast food restaurant. The arresting officers were from the Renli Street Police Station and the Hulan District Domestic Security Office.
The police notified Ms. Zhou’s brother next morning that she was put under criminal detention at the Harbin City Second Detention Center. They asked him to pick up her personal belongings and deposit money into her commissary account.
Officer Han Jiabin from the Hulan District Domestic Security Office received Ms. Zhou’s brother at the detention center. He claimed that a verbal notice of Ms. Zhou’s criminal detention was sufficient when asked why the police did not issue an official written notice as required by law. He also refused to reveal any other information.
Han called Ms. Zhou’s brother again on November 18, 2023 and said that her case had been forward to the Daowai District Procuratorate the day before. The Hulan District Domestic Security Office requested to the procuratorate on December 20 to indict her.
Prosecutor Shao Mengnan (+86-45182402033) indicted Ms. Zhou and submitted her case to the Daowai District Court on December 25, 2023. Her lawyer went to the court to review her case file on February 7, 2024 and judge Mi Shimo (+86-451-87073050) said that she may face more than three years of imprisonment. The lawyer was notified on March 1 that his client’s court date was set for March 6.
The lawyer and seven of Ms. Zhou’s family members arrived at the Daowai District Court on the morning of March 6, only to be told that the hearing was canceled. Judge Mi said the reason was because the lawyer asked to examine the flash drive confiscated from Ms. Zhou during her arrest.
A hearing was finally held two days later. It was unclear whether Ms. Zhou’s lawyer was allowed to examine the said flash drive, but he defended her constitutional right to freedom of belief. Presiding judge Chen Zhongyan (+86-451-87073045) threatened to revoke his law license and give Ms. Zhou two years. Prosecutor Shao recommended three years. According to insiders, Chen and Mi may issue a ruling around March 25.
This is not the first time that Ms. Zhou has been targeted for her faith. She was previously jailed for ten years between 2002 and 2012.
Details of Ms. Zhou’s Past Persecution
Ms. Zhou was arrested on December 20, 2002 and sentenced to ten years. She was admitted to the Heilongjiang Province Women’s Prison on July 15, 2003 and assigned to Division Two on October 30 of that year.
Ms. Zhou refused to refer to herself as a criminal or do hard labor as ordered. Team leads Zhang Shuhua and Zheng Jie both verbally abused her before taking her to their office and tying her up. They didn’t untie her until she agreed to do hard labor without pay.
A few days later Ms. Zhou was tied up again when she decided to resist the hard labor order. Zhang and Zheng stopped the torture when she relented. As soon as she defied their order again, they subjected her to another round of tying torture.
When Ms. Zhou once again refused to do hard labor after the Chinese New Year break in 2004, team lead Li slapped her in the face and ordered her to sit on the ground with her hands cuffed together with two other practitioners who also refused to do hard labor. An inmate stripped off the trio’s cotton pants with only their underpants on. She next opened the window to freeze the three practitioners. As they still refused to do hard labor, the guards ordered the inmates to drag them outside, and their cotton jackets were torn during the process.
Ms. Zhou started another round of peaceful resistance to the persecution in 2005. She refused to answer roll call or wear the inmate name tag. The guards took away her family visitation rights and arranged for two inmates to monitor her. They kicked her legs to make her squat and verbally abused her during the roll call.
In November 2006, Ms. Zhou was forced to sit on a small stool every day from 6:30 a.m. to evening time when other inmates returned from doing hard labor. The guards also played anti-Falun Gong propaganda from time to time. She had to seek permission before getting up to use the restroom.
Ms. Zhou was reassigned to the newly established Division 13 in December 2006. Head inmate Yu Hong forced her to sit on a small stool and read anti-Falun Gong books. She was later moved to a newly established team in the existing Division 7, where she was forced to watch, read and listen to anti-Falun Gong materials all day long. She agreed to do hard labor a few months later.
The prison greatly increased the workload from 2008 and 2009 and many people had to work overtime to finish the daily quota. Ms. Zhou’s task involved sewing hats. One day she had to work until 12:30 a.m. The next day she vomited and had chest pain. To finish her quota, she decided to get up at 3:30 a.m. but still had to work until late at night.
One day it was snowing and the guards ordered Ms. Zhou and other practitioners to clear the snow. They refused to comply and team head Wang Xiaoli forced them to sit on small stools from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day.
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