Judges in Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City Trample on Justice

Ms. Cheng Zhengping, a Falun Gong practitioner living in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, was secretly tried and sentenced to prison. On November 16th, her youngest daughter and lawyer Li Subin went to the court for a second time to ask for the sentencing document, and showed Judge Ren Yuan and Chief Judge Ma the Chinese Constitution. The two judges conferred, but refused to show them the sentencing document.

Lawyer Li insisted, and Judge Ren said, "I'm not going to show you the paper. Who knows if you are a real lawyer or not? Where is the proof?" Li was visibly upset and said, "How can officers of the court act like this? How can you possibly be judges?"

Ms. Cheng was arrested on July 9th, 2008 and taken to the First Jail by the Zhengzhou City National Security Division. During the trial, Judge Ren did not issue any written documents and sentenced Ms. Cheng to 7 to 15 years in prison. Ms. Cheng's daughter hired human rights lawyer Li Subin to appeal the verdict and sentence. Legal procedures require that the court provide the lawyer with the prosecuting paperwork and allow him to meet with the defendant. The court has refused to abide by these legal procedures.

Ms. Cheng's youngest daughter has not seen her mother since her arrest, and only a portion of the clothes that she sent to the jail reached her mother. A person recently released from the jail told her that her mother had been doing slave labour for more than 15 hours each day, making cigarette lighters. She was often called into a small room, but what happened inside the room was kept hidden.

On November 14th, lawyer Li learned that the court was issuing the sentencing documents, and asked Ms. Cheng's daughter to get them. Cheng's daughter went to the court the next day and asked Judge Ren for the papers, but he pretended not to know her and said, "How do I know that you are her daughter? I don't know you." Actually Ms. Cheng's daughter had visited the court several times and the judge knew very well who she was. Ms. Cheng's daughter responded, "Let me go home and get the identification paperwork for you." About one hour later, she came back with the identification. Ren then said, "I still have to ask my superior. Why don't you go home and wait." Cheng's daughter replied angrily, "You are wrong. I am her daughter, and I am entitled to get her sentencing document." Ren pushed her out and said impatiently, "Why don't you go talk with our chief judge?"

Cheng's daughter went to the chief judge's office and waited for half an hour. Finally she saw him and said to him, "Why did you secretly sentence my mother to prison and not inform the family members. Now you won't even give us the sentencing document. We have hired a lawyer, but you keep putting roadblocks in front of us." Chief Judge Ma lied and told her, "No, we did not try her secretly. It was her who declined a lawyer and said that she would not appeal. Hire your lawyer. Our trial was fair."

Thus far, Ms. Cheng's daughter and lawyer have still yet been able to obtain the court documents.

Chief Judge Ma: 86-371-63912039(Office)
Judge Ren Yuan, Jinshui District Court, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province:86-371-63936628

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/12/21/191981.html