(Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) No prosecutor, judge, or panel members attended the pretrial conference concerning imprisoned Christian Wang Honglan. The attorney representing Wang waited along in the courtroom with no explanation.
Wang Honglan’s arrest
Police and prosecutors charged the 66-year-old Wang Honglan with “illegal business operations.” She sold copies of the Holy Bible. Twelve preachers and co-workers were arrested along with her on April 14, 2021. Wang’s husband Ji Heying, her son Ji Guolong, and her nephew Wang Jiale were all arrested simultaneously.
Pretrial meeting
Her pretrial meeting was scheduled for May 8 at 10 AM. Her attorney, Fang Xiangui, arrived at the court before the scheduled time and waited until 10:15. None of the collegiate panel members, the public prosecutor, nor the Judge’s staff ever showed up.
Wang Honglan’s attorney speaks out
In response to the situation, Fang took to Chinese social media. “I strongly condemn Huimin District Court’s no-show for Wang Honglan’s pretrial conference,” he wrote on Weibo. However, the platform would not allow him to post. He resorted to publishing screenshots of his post on his WeChat Moments. Fang detailed his experience dealing with Huimin District Court for the past several months.
Previous pretrial conference
The Court called him in early March and notified him of a pretrial conference on March 20. Due to a scheduling conflict, Fang requested the court to reschedule. Several days later, Judge Guo Yanjie called him, telling the attorney they did not plan to reschedule. Fang requested a second pretrial conference.
Appeal for a second meeting
On April 10, Huimin District Court sent out a notice that Wang Honglan’s trial was scheduled for May 9. Fang traveled to the court to meet with Judge Han Yanjie in person and request a second pretrial conference. However, the judge refused to meet in person and instead talked on the phone.
Meeting set for May 8
The staff called the attorney to schedule the meeting for May 4, 6, or 8. But he requested to hold the pretrial conference on May 9. They passed along Fang’s request to their supervisor. On May 3, Fang received a notice that the pretrial conference was scheduled for May 8.
Frustrated with the result, Fang tried his best to travel to Hohhot. He arrived the night before the scheduled meeting and stayed at a friend’s home.
Photo: A police officer tries to intimidate Wang Honglan’s attorney (ChinaAid source)
Police intimidation
However, police arrived at the house and tried to intimidate Wang Honglan’s attorney. Authorities claimed they were doing a “household registration checkup.” Both the lawyer and his friend called the police on the police for “unlawful intrusion.”
No one shows up
The next morning, the Court’s secretary called Fang to make sure he would attend the pretrial meeting on time. He confirmed he would be there. When he arrived, all the lights were off. Fang questioned the staff, called the Judge, and waited for everyone to arrive. Considering that no one showed up, he left at 10:15.
~Yu Bin, ChinaAid Special Reporter
