(Minghui.org) A Bin County, Heilongjiang Province resident was tried for distributing informational calendars about his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Mr. Chen Huijiang, 53, was arrested during a police sweep in Heilongjiang Province on November 9, 2018. Officers confiscated his Falun Gong books, calendars with information about Falun Gong, and many other personal belongings, some of which were later used as prosecution evidence against him.

The Yilan County Procuratorate returned his case to the police for insufficient evidence on March 14, 2019 before indicting him and moving his case to Yilan County Court. Mr. Chen was charged with “undermining law enforcement with a cult organization,” the standard pretext used by authorities to frame and imprison Falun Gong practitioners.

Mr. Chen appeared in Yilan County Court on July 30, 2019. His lawyer entered a not-guilty plea for him. The lawyer argued that no law criminalizes Falun Gong in China and that his client didn't violate any laws in upholding his spiritual belief. He demanded an acquittal of Mr. Chen.

Mr. Chen also testified in his own defense. He said that he follows the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance in his daily life, which are only beneficial to society and has nothing to do with obstruction of law enforcement.

He acknowledged having distributed calendars about Falun Gong to the public, which he said was to raise awareness about the persecution of his faith because the government had resorted to every means to cover up and prevent the public from learning about the persecution.

Mr. Chen's lawyer cited a notice from the Chinese publication bureau revoking its ban of the publication of Falun Gong books in 2011. Mr. Chen was thus free to distribute informational calendars about Falun Gong to the public, his lawyer said.

The judge adjourned the hearing without issuing a verdict.

Mr. Chen's family, who had been influenced by the communist regime's hateful propaganda against Falun Gong, thanked the lawyer after the hearing for helping them understand that their loved one is actually innocent in practicing Falun Gong. They said they are longing for Mr. Chen to be acquitted and released soon.

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