ClearWisdom.net
June 19, 2007
On June 8, 2005, attorney Zhu Yubiao defended Falun Gong practitioner Gao Huanlian in Guangzhou's Tianhe Court. This was the first attorney in Guangdong Province to openly defend a Falun Gong practitioner.
According to people who attended the trial, the scene after attorney Zhu came to the end of his defense speech was dramatic. The judges looked at each other dumbfounded. They understood clearly that Mr. Zhu's defense was based on Chinese law and facts, and it was a valid defense. They did not know how to respond to it.
After a long silence, one of the prosecutors suddenly remarked, "If you think what you have done is good, you may do it at home. Don't do it in public."
Later, Mr. Zhu also defended practitioners Wei Yingxin and Song Hongfeng. In order to stop Mr. Zhu from defending Song Hongfeng at the Guangzhou Intermediate Court, the authorities intentionally arranged two of the trials at the same time.
For these trials, the police closed the roads to the court, searched everyone attending the trials, took many photographs and videos in and out of the courtroom, and harassed people who attended the trial.
Afterwards, some officials from the Judicial Office accused Mr. Zhu of being a "counter-revolutionary" and protested to his superiors at the Guangda Law Firm, where Mr. Zhu worked. One of the leaders at the law firm replied to the officials that court proceedings cannot be used against Mr. Zhu, but he also warned Mr. Zhu not to take such cases going forward.
Mr. Zhu was soon placed under surveillance by police. Around October 2006, Mr. Zhu requested a transfer from Guangda Law Firm to the Hengyi Law Firm. During January and February of 2007, more practitioners attempted to hire Mr. Zhu as their defense attorney, and he accepted the case.
On February 10, 2007, Mr. Zhu was arrested when he visited Mr. Lin Zhiyong's home. On March 2, Mr. Zhu's home was searched, but nothing incriminating was found. However, they still detained Mr. Zhu illegally for more than four months without notifying his family.
Mr. Zhu is currently being detained at the Guangzhou Huadu Third Forced Labor Camp.
