Jinan Centre District Court Violates Rules for Public Trial

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Liu Yujin is a kindhearted farmer from the Centre District of Jinan. On November 16th, 2010, she was taken from her home by Centre District Police Department officers. On May 6th, 2011, she was sentenced at the Centre District Court. At that time, the court staff, appointed lawyer, and local 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) officials prevented Ms. Liu’s husband and daughter from entering the courtroom. Her family alleged that the police and court acted, however, the Procuratorate office refused to accept their case, claiming that they were following an “internal document” guideline.

The following letter was written by Ms. Liu Yujin’s daughter, Tian Guangqing, which alleges that the Centre District Court acted illegally.

“On May 6th, 2011, when my mother Liu Yujin’s case went to court, my father and I went to the Jinan Centre District Court requesting to attend the trial. Officials at the door refused us entry, even though both my father and I presented our identification cards, and my father also had a “Court Hearing Card” that he'd obtained the day before.

“The court staff refused to let my father attend the trial, claiming that he was a witness for this case. On a previous occasion, my father was taken to the Shilulihe Police Station, where he was then interrogated about my mother’s activities. At that time, the police didn't tell my father that he was 'providing evidence.' They didn't inform him that he was considered to be a witness, nor did they explain the document that he was required to sign, or why they took his fingerprints. Therefore, this entire process of 'collecting evidence' was illegal.

“My father remained outside the courtroom during my mother's entire hearing, but was not asked to testify as a witness.

“When I asked to be allowed to attend the trial using my identification card, the staff refused to let me enter. When I asked why, they claimed that it was due to a new internal regulation. Nobody explained the 'internal regulation,' or its legality.

“On the day of the trial, my father and I recognised Deputy Section Leader Dong Shuwei of the Jinan Centre District Political and Judiciary Committee and 610 Office officials from our village. They stayed outside the courtroom and kept watching us.”

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/6/3/241882.html