Five Attorneys’ Defense in Harbin: “We Are Touched by Falun Gong Practitioner’s Unyielding Spirit”
By a Minghui correspondent in Heilongjiang Province, China
(Minghui.org) On March 27, five attorneys vigorously defended four Falun Gong practitioners, Zhao Yu’an, Zhang Baosheng, Wang Jinyu, and Cheng Baoying, in the Acheng District Court, with all four practitioners entering pleas of not guilty. “We have seen Falun Gong practitioners uphold true principles and an unyielding, firm belief. Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted for many years,” said one of the attorneys, “yet they have still persevered in their faith and made peaceful appeals for ending the persecution while adhering to the moral conscience of good people. We are touched by the Falun Gong practitioner’s unyielding spirit!”
The attorneys’ defense brought joy and comfort to the practitioners’ families who were at the hearing. Even a police officer privately said, “All those that practice Falun Gong are good people.”
The five attorneys are from the Jingchang Attorney’s Office in Beijing, the Kaitai Attorney’s Office in Beijing, the Zhenbang Attorney’s Office in Beijing, the Jiafa Attorney’s Office in Beijing, and the Mingli Attorney’s Office in Jiangxi Province.
The attorneys agreed that the four Falun Gong practitioners did not have any intent or behave in any way that sabotaged national laws or administrative regulations. During the trial, the prosecutor didn’t provide any evidence that the practitioners sabotaged the execution of laws or administrative regulations. The attorneys also pointed out that practicing Falun Gong fits into the category of freedom of belief. Citizens have the right to believe in any religion. “Freedom of religious belief is protected by our constitution.”
The attorneys also pointed out, “We are not just appealing for Falun Gong. More importantly, we are appealing for the Chinese nation’s moral conscience and justice. We see hope for the Chinese nation in Falun Gong practitioners! We cannot see justice, morality, and conscience get trampled! We cannot see good people be wronged and cruelly persecuted. We are responsible for helping them! We should not be numb, cowardly, and cold-hearted, and ignore our responsibility! If innocent people are convicted, the country would lose its dignity. In that case, it will be very difficult for our country to have long-term stability. In a few years, our future generations will find it difficult to understand this absurd episode in history. This highlights the selfishness and craziness of present day people, and how some people do anything to take the credit and get rewards. It is an insult to the intelligence of the prosecutors, judges, and Party officials and is making a mockery of human conscience and courage. Are our consciences, sense of justice, humanity, and law of the land really this vulnerable? Such a state of affairs makes a person lose the will to fight for justice.”
More than 40 participants in the courtroom, including relatives, the judge, bailiffs, and others all heard the five attorneys’ reasonable defense. The family members said that it’s not a crime to practice Falun Gong and they called for an immediate acquittal. A police officer told the practitioners’ family members in private, “We know Falun Gong practitioners are good people! In our minds we are clear, but we are forced to participate in the persecution due to pressure from our superiors!” It was reported that the court originally planned to illegally sentence the practitioners, but didn’t end up doing so. The presiding judge said that the court would render its verdict later.
It was reported that after the trial, the five attorneys drafted a special report for interested parties, calling for the acquittal of the four Falun Gong practitioners.
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