(Clearwisdom.net)

Illegal Sentencing of Five Falun Gong Practitioners

Liao Nuli, Li Xiaoqiu, Luo Xufeng, Wang Yanfa and Wang Shuqin, were abducted by the police last year for practicing Falun Dafa. On January 5, 2004, the Shenzhen City Futian District Court Illegally put them on trial, and on April 8, they sentenced Liao Nuli and Li Xiaoqiu to 10-year terms, Luo Xufeng to a 9-year term, Li Xiaoqiu's mother, Wang Shuqin, to a 7-year term and Wang Yanfa to a 5-year term.

Another practitioner, Li Jianhui, who was also abducted last year during the same incident, was sentenced to an eighteen month forced labor term. He was released from the Futian Detention Center in Shenzhen after one year. No one knows his whereabouts at this time. Li Jianhui's wife, Dai Ying, was sentenced to a 2-year labor term and was sent to the Sanshui Women's Labor Camp in Guangdong Province in January 2004.

Also, Li Xiaoqiu's elder sister, Li Dongmei, was sentenced to a year of forced labor for secretly defending her younger sister. She did not cooperate with the "610 Office" (1) personnel, who demanded that she provide relevant information in the matter, although the local "610 Office" knew that she did not practice Falun Gong.

Even more preposterous, the baby-sitter for Li Jianhui and Dai Ying was also abducted. After she was detained in the Futian Detention Center in Shenzhen for a month, on March 27, 2003, they deceived her by telling her she would be released. After she walked out of the main door of the detention center, she was abducted by a "610 Office" minivan that was waiting outside the door and sent to the brainwashing class in the city education center in Xili, Shenzhen. She was not released until July 2003.

On April 28, the illegal sentences for the five practitioners mentioned above were handed down. They appealed their sentences on May 8, but the Intermediate Court of Shenzhen City did not acknowledge the appeal and upon a second appeal, they hastily set aside the appeal and confirmed the original sentence.

Shenzhen Practitioners Abducted

On June 11, Shenzhen practitioners Zhen Zeqi, Li Yuanqiang and Yao Zhen were illegally abducted in Longhua, Shenzhen. Ten days later, Li Yuanqiang and Yao Zhen were released, but Chen Zeqi remained in detention. His family was very worried about him and searched for him everywhere, but could not determine where he was detained.

Shenzhen practitioner, Zhang Lijie, disappeared in the middle of June. It is believed that she was abducted by the authorities. Her disappearance is under investigation.

Shenzhen practitioner Ms. Huang Quanying, 60 years old, was abducted in February 2004 when she was distributing truth-clarification materials. After being detained for three days at the police station, she was transferred to the Futian Detention Center.

July 10, 2004

(1) The "610 Office" is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.