(Minghui.org) Ms. Hu Guanxia, 37, was illegally arrested on July 7, 2015, along with four other Falun Gong practitioners. The five practitioners were seized after they distributed informational materials about Falun Gong in Yuetian Town, Hunan Province.
The five practitioners were secretly put on trial by the Yueyang County Court on November 19, 2015. Ms. Hu, Mr. Hu Baori, and Ms. Li Yanhe were illegally sentenced to four years in prison on December 4, 2015, while Ms. Wang Ximei and Mr. Ai Lianfang were sentenced two years and one year respectively.
The practitioners have since appealed their cases to the Yueyang City Intermediate Court.
Ms. Hu, who is from Tongcheng County, Hubei Province, has been detained in the Yunxi Detention Center since her arrest last year. Now, in just eight months, Ms. Hu's health has quickly deteriorated, and two-thirds of her hair has fallen out. She also has chest tightness, shortness of breath, light headedness, and general weakness in her limbs. Her menstruation is no longer normal, sometimes coming twice a month or lasting for several weeks. She has lost 30 pounds.
Ms. Hu's family hired defense lawyer Mr. Chen Zhiyong from Beijing. He visited the Yueyang City Intermediate Court on March 7, 2016, and March 16, 2016, to request a hearing. However, Judge Zhang told Ms. Hu that since there was no new evidence, a new hearing was unnecessary.
She then asked why she was sentenced to four years for just practicing Falun Gong and distributing flyers that teach people to be good. Judge Zhang said that distributing Falun Gong fliers is prohibited in China, even though, he noted, it's okay overseas. In the end, he said he could not make any decisions since he had to report to his superiors.
When lawyer Chen Zhiyong visited Ms. Hu at the detention center on April 14, she told him about the conversation with the judge. Chen and one of Ms. Hu's family members proceeded to the intermediate court and handed three defense statements to Judge Zhang. One of the statements was from the lawyer, one from Ms. Hu, and one from Ms Hu's husband Wu Zhimin. They are now waiting for a response.
Parties involved in persecuting Ms. Hu:Yueyang City Intermediate Court:Peng Shili (彭世理), head of Yueyang City Intermediate CourtYueyang City 610 Office:Zhang Jiehong (张皆红), deputy of the 610 Office: +86-730-8889041Yunxi Detention Center: +86-730-8435084 Ext. 877Han Kui (韩奎), head of the detention centerLiu Xuzhao (刘旭照), deputy of the detention center
