(Minghui.org) Mr. Di Jianchao, 61, who lives in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, stood trial on April 24, 2026, because he practices Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Di’s lawyer refuted the allegations against him and demanded he be acquitted. The lawyer also pointed out that presiding judge He Wen from the Wuhua District Court violated the law in barring Mr. Di’s wife from representing him as a non-lawyer defender. She prepared her defense statement but received a last-minute notice right before the trial that she could only attend the hearing as a spectator, not a defender.
Mr. Di remained silent in protest during the entire court session from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. He was taken back to the Guandu District Detention Center, where he remains since he was arrested on July 15, 2025.
Mr. Di went on a hunger strike in protest and was hospitalized on January 7, 2026. His wife requested his release for medical treatment but it was denied. Judge He initially set a court date for January 27 but postponed it to February 6 because of Mr. Di’s poor health. As Mr. Di was still in serious condition, the hearing was further postponed to April 24.
Prosecutor Huang Pengwen from the Wuhua District Procuratorate charged Mr. Di with “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement.” His lawyer pointed out that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong or labels it a cult. Additionally, Mr. Di’s possession of Falun Gong books, which were published by legitimate publishers, as well as his distribution of Falun Gong materials, did not cause any harm to any individual or society at large, much less undermine law enforcement.
The Falun Gong books and materials confiscated from Mr. Di’s home were “certified” to be “cult propaganda” by the local police department. By law, only an independent, third-party forensic agency is authorized to verify and authenticate prosecution evidence.
The police had surveilled Mr. Di for over two months (starting on May 13, 2025) before arresting him on July 15, 2025, while he was distributing Falun Gong materials. His lawyer argued that such long-term surveillance constituted technical investigation as defined in Article 264 of the “Regulations on Procedures for Handling Criminal Cases by Public Security Organs.” The technical investigation of Mr. Di violated Articles 150 and 152 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which stipulate that technical investigation only applies to five categories of cases, including crimes endangering national security, terrorist activities, organized crime, major drug crimes, or other serious crimes endangering society. Again, Mr. Di was simply exercising his constitutional right to freedom of belief and committed none of the five categories of crims.
The police alleged that Mr. Di was the same person who distributed Falun Gong materials at a certain location. They came to that conclusion after poring over surveillance videos and noted someone that looked like him in the footage. They then shadowed him and arrested him while he was distributing Falun Gong materials in a different place.
The defense lawyer argued that the officer who concluded that the man seen in the footage was Mr. Di did not provide any other supporting evidence, such as whether Mr. Di’s fingerprints were found on the said materials. Additionally, the officer’s name and title were not included in the case file as required.
Hours after Mr. Di’s arrest on July 15, 2025, about 18 plainclothes officers and two SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team officers broke into his home at around 10 p.m. They restrained his wife, Ms. Luo Jiangqin, 58, before searching everywhere.
Ms. Luo was listed as a witness to the raid and also accused of “hurling foul language” at the police. She argued that she was restrained in a room and did not see the raid at all. She also denied verbally abusing any officer.
Prosecutor Huang said there was a police body-cam video of the home raid, but he refused to play the footage in court. He also denied the lawyer’s request to cross-examine Ms. Luo.
While his home was being raided, Mr. Di was interrogated at the Zhonghua Police Station. The interrogating officers refused to disclose their identities or record his actual answers to their questions. They also tortured him.
Mr. Di later requested that the interrogating officers be recused from the case but he never received any response. His lawyer pointed out that by law the police must issue a response within two to five days of the request.
The interrogating officers’ fabricated interrogation records were still included in the case file and used as evidence against Mr. Di.
Prosecutor Huang alleged that Mr. Di was a repeat offender as he was previously twice jailed for a total of eight and a half years for practicing Falun Gong. His lawyer argued that he should never have been jailed for exercising his constitutional right to freedom of belief. He was also fired from his job at the Kunming Shipbuilding Company because he practices Falun Gong.
The lawyer again requested Mr. Di’s acquittal. Judge He adjourned the session without indicating when he’d issue a ruling.
The Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners at Yunnan Province First Prison (Part 1)