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Illegal Trial Opens in Baise City, Guangxi Province - Judge Does Not Allow Lawyer to Defend Falun Gong Practitioners
(Clearwisdom.net) On the morning of December 8, 2005, lawless officials
in Pingguo County, Baise City held an illegal trial of Dafa practitioners Nong
Youyue, Huang Ying, and Lan Hongping. The judge did not allow the lawyers to
defend Falun Gong practitioners in court. Many police officers and plainclothes
police officers followed the Falun Gong practitioners' lawyer, and they
restricted his freedom while claiming to "protect" him. Early on the morning of December 8, the police started patrolling the entire
Pingguo County and created an atmosphere of terror. The trial began at 8:30
a.m., and many plainclothes police officers between 20 and 30 years of age
filled the court. One police van parked outside the courthouse, and another
police van filled with plainclothes police parked across from the courthouse.
Falun Gong practitioners Huang Ying, Lan Hongping and Nong Youyue were dragged
to the courthouse by police. After about ten minutes, an average height, thin
Falun Gong practitioner was taken away by police after he started videotaping
the trial with a mini video camera. About four police officers dragged him but
he stood still, and about four other officers joined and they took him away by
force. It was chaotic. The police beat him and he had blood on his face. During the trial, the judge asked Nong Youyue, "Do you still think Falun
Dafa is good?" Nong Youyue, who had been illegally detained for nearly one
year at the time, said in a loud and clear voice, "Falun Dafa is good. It's
not just good, it's the best Fa. We are not committing any crimes by practicing
Dafa. I did not commit any crimes by distributing VCDs, because I was exposing
your persecution of Dafa and Dafa practitioners. I didn't commit any crimes by
helping people learn the truth." The judge cut him off and would not let
him continue. Falun Gong practitioners hired lawyer Yang Zaixin from Zhongchi Law Firm in
Guangxi Province. When Yang Zaixin tried to defend the practitioners in court,
the judge read his defense statement and forbid Yang Zaixin from speaking. When
Yang Zaixin confronted the judge by asking why he was not allowed to speak, the
judge said, "These things can't be made clear with arguments, it's better
that you keep quiet. We won't let you speak." Yang Zaixin strongly urged
that he be allowed to read the defense statement, but the judge and the public
prosecutor both claimed time restraint, that there was no time for him to speak.
Whenever Yang Zaixin spoke, about seven or eight people interrupted him by
speaking at the same time, and they would not let him continue. The judge forcefully terminated lawyer Yang Zaixin's defense. This farce
ended hastily. It was learned that the lawless officials also arranged for a
"repentance session" for the practitioners, and they wanted the
practitioners to "express their opinions." The officials also harassed
Yang Zaixin, who was supporting justice and conscience. At noon, the
practitioners phoned Yang Zaixin and tried to meet with him, and he said he was
being followed. Many police officers and plainclothes police followed Yang
Zaixin until he left in the evening. They claimed to be "protecting"
him, but they were in fact restricting his freedom. In the early morning on December 8, the practitioners posted stickers at the
Pingguo County Detention Center, Pingguo County Court and Pingguo County
Procuratorate to clarify the truth, expose the persecution and asked for the
release of illegally detained Dafa practitioners. The stickers said, "Falun
Dafa Association Announcement," as well as "Immediately release Dafa
practitioners detained in Pingguo County and stop all persecution of Dafa and
Dafa practitioners," and "The World Organization to Investigate the
Persecution of Falun Gong has implemented a global monitoring and tracking
system." Many family members and predestined people read these stickers at
the courthouse and the procuratorate, and they were all moved. The police
panicked. They tore off the stickers and took them away. The court insisted on
illegally trying the practitioners. Posting date: 12/30/2005
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