(Minghui.org) A Huili County, Sichuan Province resident was sentenced to 16 months in prison on April 23, 2020, for his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Mr. Xu Shikai, a retired middle school teacher in his 60s, was arrested on the evening of April 23, 2019. The police took him to different places the next day and took photos of him at each place. They then accused him of posting Falun Gong information across town.
Mr. Xu appeared in the Huili County Court on October 23, 2019. His lawyer entered a not-guilty plea for him, and he also testified in his own defense.
When Mr. Xu’s family contacted Judge Fu Jing to inquire about his case in February 2020, the judge said he had just received more materials from the prosecutor and that he was considering another hearing.
According to Mr. Xu’s lawyer, Chinese criminal law prohibits prosecutors from submitting additional evidence after the court hearing. He urged the judge not to consider such evidence and not to follow the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution policy against Falun Gong while deciding the verdict against Mr. Xu.
The judge never contacted the lawyer afterward. When Mr. Xu's family went to the court to inquire about his case on April 25, 2020, the judge said that he had already sentenced Mr. Xu the week before. He didn’t offer more details and left in a hurry.
Mr. Xu’s family has filed an appeal with Liangshanzhou Intermediate Court on his behalf.
