(Minghui.org)
Name: Meng Xiuli (孟秀丽)
Gender: Female
Age: 51
Address: Shijicheng Residential Area, Fuping County, Baoding City, Hebei Province
Occupation: Small supermarket manager
Date of Most Recent Arrest: November 4, 2012
Most recent place of detention: Baoding City Detention Center (保定市看守所)
City: Baoding
Province: Hebei
Persecution Suffered: Detention, illegal trial
Falun Gong practitioner Meng Xiuli was arrested on November 4, 2012 by police while posting Falun Gong posters. On May 9, 2013 Fuping County Court tried her. Her lawyer made a strong case in her defense. Fuping County Court has not give the verdict yet, nor have they released Meng Xiuli. Currently Meng Xiuli has been detained for nine months, and she has become very weak.
Meng Xiuli owns a convenience store called Ringling Small Supermarket. On November 4, 2012, Meng Xiuli was posting Falun Gong posters on her way to visit her relatives. She was arrested by the police, and was detained in the Baoding City Detention Center.
Fuping County 610 office and the CCP's judicial system jointly prosecuted Meng Xiuli. Meng Xiuli's family members hired a lawyer from Beijing on December 6, 2012 to defend her. The lawyer was repeatedly obstructed from meeting Meng Xiuli and was threatened by officials such as Fuping County deputy secretary Gong Xiqiang, director of County 610 Office Yang Jianwei, and political commissar Li Lixin from the Police Department.
Deputy director of the Police Department Zhai Xiangyu, the Domestic Security Division captain Fan Zhenhua and other officials were also involved. The lawyer had an official letter authorizing him to meet his client, but he was stopped and kept from meeting with Meng Xiuli. Finally the lawyer was able to meet with Meng Xiuli on January 9, 2013.
Subsequently Meng Xiuli's family member and the lawyer went to the Procuratorate to review the case's progress. The deputy chief of the public prosecution section of Fuping Procuratorate Wu Pengfei intervened in order to prevent the lawyer from getting involved. He told the lawyer and the family members that the case had not yet arrived at the Procuratorate. With the lawyer's repeated questioning, the prosecutor submitted the case to the court on January 17 th .
In order to prevent the family and the public from attending the hearing, the court date was repeatedly changed. Finally the hearing was scheduled for May 9, 2013. Criminal Tribunal President Zheng Liping told the family members that only two people could attend. The family members strongly objected. Then Zheng said that only immediate family members could attend.
On the day of the trial Fuping County Court was on high alert and stopped all other cases. The whole street was full of uniformed and plainclothes police, and blocked off with two police vehicles. Many local people, Meng Xiuli's relatives and friends who were concerned about Meng Xiuli, wanted to attend the hearing, but they were all turned away. Even Meng Xiuli's family members were obstructed by court staff.
Criminal Court Vice President Xin Jigui expelled Meng Xiuli's families roughly, saying a maximum of ten people could attend. At that time the family members had not seen their loved one for six months. They were anxious to see her and were in tears in frustration.
They later decided that if the court did not let all of her relatives in, none of them or the lawyer would attend the hearing. This shocked the court officials. Criminal Tribunal President Zheng Liping came out quickly and said, "Who said you are not allowed to enter?! A few more people is not a problem."
In the court deputy chief of the public prosecution section of Fuping Procuratorate Wu Pengfei accused Meng Xiuli of "using a cult organization to undermine the implementation of the law," and suggested that the court sentence Meng Xiuli to four to six years.
The defense lawyer said: “The Constitution stipulates that citizens have freedom of religion and belief. No state organ, organization or individual can force citizens to believe in or not believe in any religion. No law in China states that Falun Gong is a cult. Meng Xiuli has not broken any law.” The lawyer demanded the immediate release of Meng Xiuli.
Facing Meng Xiuli and her lawyer's not guilty plea, judge Zheng Liping did not provide a verdict and quickly adjourned the trial. Meng Xiuli, who was in precarious health, had to be brought to the court entrance with help. She was stuffed into a prison vehicle, and did not have a chance to say a word to her family members.
According to the law, family members can request bail if the court has not tried her within three months. The lawyer submitted this application to the court, but the court disregarded the request. When the family asked Xin Jigui why Meng Xiuli was detained beyond the time limit, he said very rudely, "We have nothing to say to you!" The family members have filed a complaint with the Political and Legal Commission.
Responsible persons:
Gong Xi Qiang, deputy secretary of the Fuping County Politics and Law Committee 86-13730456999 (Cell) Yang Jianwei, Head of the Fuping County 610 Office 86-13582269398 (Cell) ,86-312-7221395 (Home); Wang Shihua, President of the Fuping County Court 86-13932274966 (Cell) Li Yingzhi, deputy President of the Fuping County Procuratorate 86-13603128767 (Cell) Zheng Liping, the chief judge of the Criminal Tribunal 86-13932202698 (Cell) Xin Jigui, Vice-President of the Tribunal judges 86-13082371015 (Cell) Meng Lianghui, President of the Fuping County Procuratorate 86-13931378859 (Cell) Li Mingxu, Deputy President of the Fuping County Procuratorate 86-13933282081 (Cell) Wu Pengfei, Deputy Chief of the Public Prosecution Section of the Fuping Procuratorate 86-312-7224205
Chinese version available http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2013/8/2/河北阜平县孟秀丽女士遭非法庭审-277551.html
Related article: http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2013/4/19/138974.html