Illegal Trial Opens in Baise City, Guangxi Province - Judge Does Not Allow Lawyer to Defend Falun Gong Practitioners

(Clearwisdom.net) On the morning of December 8, 2005, lawless officials in Pingguo County, Baise City held an illegal trial of Dafa practitioners Nong Youyue, Huang Ying, and Lan Hongping. The judge did not allow the lawyers to defend Falun Gong practitioners in court. Many police officers and plainclothes police officers followed the Falun Gong practitioners' lawyer, and they restricted his freedom while claiming to "protect" him.

Early on the morning of December 8, the police started patrolling the entire Pingguo County and created an atmosphere of terror. The trial began at 8:30 a.m., and many plainclothes police officers between 20 and 30 years of age filled the court. One police van parked outside the courthouse, and another police van filled with plainclothes police parked across from the courthouse. Falun Gong practitioners Huang Ying, Lan Hongping and Nong Youyue were dragged to the courthouse by police. After about ten minutes, an average height, thin Falun Gong practitioner was taken away by police after he started videotaping the trial with a mini video camera. About four police officers dragged him but he stood still, and about four other officers joined and they took him away by force. It was chaotic. The police beat him and he had blood on his face.

During the trial, the judge asked Nong Youyue, "Do you still think Falun Dafa is good?" Nong Youyue, who had been illegally detained for nearly one year at the time, said in a loud and clear voice, "Falun Dafa is good. It's not just good, it's the best Fa. We are not committing any crimes by practicing Dafa. I did not commit any crimes by distributing VCDs, because I was exposing your persecution of Dafa and Dafa practitioners. I didn't commit any crimes by helping people learn the truth." The judge cut him off and would not let him continue.

Falun Gong practitioners hired lawyer Yang Zaixin from Zhongchi Law Firm in Guangxi Province. When Yang Zaixin tried to defend the practitioners in court, the judge read his defense statement and forbid Yang Zaixin from speaking. When Yang Zaixin confronted the judge by asking why he was not allowed to speak, the judge said, "These things can't be made clear with arguments, it's better that you keep quiet. We won't let you speak." Yang Zaixin strongly urged that he be allowed to read the defense statement, but the judge and the public prosecutor both claimed time restraint, that there was no time for him to speak. Whenever Yang Zaixin spoke, about seven or eight people interrupted him by speaking at the same time, and they would not let him continue.

The judge forcefully terminated lawyer Yang Zaixin's defense. This farce ended hastily. It was learned that the lawless officials also arranged for a "repentance session" for the practitioners, and they wanted the practitioners to "express their opinions." The officials also harassed Yang Zaixin, who was supporting justice and conscience. At noon, the practitioners phoned Yang Zaixin and tried to meet with him, and he said he was being followed. Many police officers and plainclothes police followed Yang Zaixin until he left in the evening. They claimed to be "protecting" him, but they were in fact restricting his freedom.

In the early morning on December 8, the practitioners posted stickers at the Pingguo County Detention Center, Pingguo County Court and Pingguo County Procuratorate to clarify the truth, expose the persecution and asked for the release of illegally detained Dafa practitioners. The stickers said, "Falun Dafa Association Announcement," as well as "Immediately release Dafa practitioners detained in Pingguo County and stop all persecution of Dafa and Dafa practitioners," and "The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong has implemented a global monitoring and tracking system." Many family members and predestined people read these stickers at the courthouse and the procuratorate, and they were all moved. The police panicked. They tore off the stickers and took them away. The court insisted on illegally trying the practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/12/14/116498.html

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