(Minghui.org) "The judicial system is the last line of defense for social justice," said Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2014, echoing the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary passed by the United Nations in 1985 that recognizes an independent judicial system as a basic necessity.

In China, however, the judiciary effectively operates under the directives of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, an organization of the Communist Party's Central Committee (politburo). This becomes especially apparent in the Communist regime's 15-year persecution of Falun Gong, as it uses the nation's courts as another tool with which to carry out its suppression campaign.

Below are some quotes from Chinese judges as they passed sentence against Falun Gong practitioners:

“Each word from you is one more year you will stay in prison.”“The Party forbids it [hiring non-government lawyers]!”“Don't talk to me about the law!”“Yes, we’re bandits. So what?”“We are determined to fight for Communism for the rest of our lives.”

Although the Chinese Constitution stipulates freedom of belief and freedom of speech for all citizens, tens of thousands of cases have been reported on Minghui in which Falun Gong practitioners were imprisoned and tortured by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for their beliefs, or for telling others about the persecution.

“Three sentences means three more years of imprisonment”This sentence was spoken to Han Yuejuan, a former Propaganda Department officer in Guangdong Province. When she said “Falun Dafa is good” in court three times, loud and clear, the words infuriated her judges, who changed her sentence from four years to seven years.

“Each word from you is one more year you will stay in prison.”Zhang Jinsheng, a practitioner in Qingyuan County of Liaoning Province, was arrested and detained for telling others how to circumvent the Communist regime's Internet blockade (a.k.a. The Great Firewall of China) to access the Minghui website. When he appealed for his innocence by calling out “Falun Dafa is good” during his trial in September 2004, the judge threatened, “Each word from you is one more year you will stay in prison.” His 8-year imprisonment term was changed to 13 years.

“He is no longer a minor, and he does not need a guardian... no obligation to inform his family of the trial.”After Naxi Court in Sichuan Province tried Mr. Wang Daigui and two other practitioners in January 2014, his family asked why they were not notified about the trial. “They are adults with no guardians. So there was no need to tell his family about the trial,” replied a court officer Zheng.

“As long as you fire your current attorneys [from Beijing], the court will pay the costs and hire the best attorneys for you.”Twelve Falun Gong practitioners were arrested in Benxi City of Liaoning Province and were on trial in June 2014. Liu Weidong, Mingshan District Court president, asked their family members to replace their Beijing defense lawyers with local ones.

“As long as you fire your current attorneys [from Beijing], the court will pay the costs and hire the best attorneys for you,” said Liu.

Similarly, officials from Yongtai Court in Fujian Province and Shulan Court in Jilin Province also made demands for family members to stop hiring lawyers from Beijing.

“I don't have to tell you, it's an internal regulation.”Ms. Zhang Xiaoli, 38, was tried in Dalian City in Liaoning Province on December 31, 2014. When her lawyer made a request to have Ms. Zhang's handcuffs removed according to the law, Judge Li Zenglan replied, “According to the provisions, handcuffs do not need to be removed.”

Upon being asked what provisions he was referring to, Judge Li replied, “I don't have to tell you, it's an internal regulation.”

“The Party forbids it [hiring non-government lawyers]!”When Jilin practitioner Ms. Wang Yajuan, 51, was tried in September 2013, her lawyer from Beijing was rejected by Judge Guo Qingxi. The lawyer pointed out that this violated the law, but Judge Guo responded, “The Party forbids it [hiring non-government lawyers]!”

“We are determined to fight for Communism for the rest of our lives.”On May 18, 2009, the Huaiyin District Court in Huaian City, Jiangsu Province, tried practitioner Shen Yang. Presiding Judge Guo Zhenxiang tried to trick him into admitting his “crime,” but Shen Yang was not fooled and explained to everyone why he held firm to his belief in Falun Gong.

A 610 Office agent in his 50s rushed to the front and yelled at the judge, “Stop him from talking!”

Guo then nervously said to everyone in the courtroom, “We are determined to fight for Communism for the rest of our lives.”

“Don't talk to me about the law!”When Ms. Zhang Deyan and three other Liaoning Province practitioners were on trial at Wanghua District Court in July 2013, the judge and Ms. Zhang's lawyer had a brief conversation.

The judge said, “Don't talk to me about the law!”

The lawyer was shocked and asked her, “If we don't talk about the law, are we supposed to just tell jokes?”

This is not the only example of such goings on. Judges in Shanghai, Guangdong Province, and Heilongjiang Provinces made similar remarks.

“Why do you speak of the law? I'm talking about politics here.”Mr. Lu Tong, a practitioner from Caixiangxin Village in Suzhou City, was illegally sentenced to four years in prison on December 17, 2008 by Jinchang District Court. His daughter, Ms. Lu Yan, appealed and requested another trial for her father. The court officials evaded responsibility again and again.

Gu Yingqing, the president of the Suzhou City Intermediate Court, said to the family, “Why do you speak of the law? I'm talking about politics here.”

“It is a violation of the law…. It is an order from above.”On January 6, 2004, the Shulan City Court in Jilin Province brought to trial four Dafa practitioners, but officials violated the legal process and did not make a public announcement–they had not even informed their family. A family member overheard the trial and asked about the lack of notification.

Judge Liu Yong replied, "There is an internal order. We need not make any announcement and the family members need not be notified.”

When questioned about the legitimacy, Liu said, “It is a violation of the law, but we will not make any public announcements. It is an order from above.”

“Yes, we’re bandits. So what?”Practitioner Mr. Zhang Jingdong from Suibin County, Heilongjiang Province, was tried on August 17, 2004. Judge Wu Jun refused to let Mr. Zhang's two older sisters testify on his behalf and said, “It’s an order from the higher-ups.”

After asking for the order and being ignored, the sisters asked why the legal procedures were not followed.

Wang simply replied, “Yes, we’re bandits. So what?”

(To be continued)