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Trial
Cong Rixu's Grandfather, (L) and Mother, (R). Cong's mother went into shock on hearing of his arrest and afterwards suffered from fragile health. The grandfather suffered a stroke upon hearing of Cong's prison sentence. Both died prematurely. (Courtesy of Tian Lu)
Upon her return home, Lu Lu was hardly left in peace. Public Security agents visited her family regularly, interrogating and intimidating them.
Her family was in a constant state of anxiety, worrying that each time the agents visited, Lu Lu might get snatched back into detention. On March 9, her grandmother died, a death Lu Lu believes was brought on by the stress of the constant police harassment.
Her parents moved from their home of 20 years, to a new apartment to escape the constant harassment.
Lu Lu went to Beijing to find a lawyer and was followed by security agents.
She turned to Mr. Wang Yonghang, an attorney who had defended Falun Gong practitioners several times in the past.
Defending Falun Gong practitioners is not allowed in China, and Wang had paid heavily for his advocacy. He had been fired from his job and his law license had been revoked.
Nonetheless, Wang came to Dalian to defend Rixu on June 16. After he got up to speak for Rixu and enter a plea of not guilty—Falun Gong practitioners are not allowed to plea “not guilty”—the judges adjourned the trial. Even though the trial was adjourned, the court later handed down a three-year prison sentence to Rixu.
When Rixu’s grandfather heard the news, he had a stroke and became paralyzed.
Rixu was refused a request to visit his ill grandfather and his mother, whose health, since she had passed out the day of his arrest, had remained fragile.
On July 4, one of the most powerful members of the CCP, Zhou Yongkang, who is responsible for the entire legal system, personally ordered Wang’s arrest.
During a beating Wang suffered after the arrest, his ankle was broken. Treatment was refused, the broken bones shifted and infection set in. A month later surgery was performed, but Wang now walks with a limp. He has been sentenced to 7 years in prison.
In prison, Wang tried to stop guards from beating Falun Gong practitioners. As punishment, the guards violently force-fed him, nearly suffocating him. The guards handcuffed and left him lying on the floor for 48 hours.
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