The search procedure is seriously illegal – Wang Honglan Case in Inner Mongolia, Court Session Brief Day 13The search procedure is seriously illegal –

Case Introduction:

In Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, nine Christians, including Wang Honglan, her nephew Wang Jiale, her niece Liu Minna, Yang Zhijun, her husband Ji Heying, her son Ji Guolong, Zhang Wang, her niece’s husband Liu Wei, and Li Chao, were suspected of illegal business operations for “paying to help others buy Bibles.” The case was assigned to the Hui District Public Security Branch in Hohhot by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Public Security Department. Currently, the case has been prosecuted by the Hui District Procuratorate and is being heard in the Hui District Court, reaching the stage of presenting and cross-examining evidence…

On December 5, 2023, the court session continued at 2 PM. The defense continued to express doubts about the seventh set of evidence regarding the search and seizure procedure read by the prosecutor.

The defense questioned the defendants about this part of the evidence. Sister Liu Minna said that when the police entered to search, they did not show a search warrant and printed it on the spot during the search, without any witnesses present; Brother Liu Wei mentioned that about forty to fifty people entered, making it unclear who the witnesses were, and the seized mobile phones and other electronic devices were not sealed; Brother Yang Zhijun said that the police did not show police ID or a search warrant upon entry, printed the search warrant on the spot, and mentioned no witnesses during the search. The seized USB drive was not sealed, the mobile phone was not turned off, nor was it sealed on the spot. During the interrogation that night, the police kept asking him to unlock the phone with his fingerprint for inspection. The police who came for the arrest and search were the same ones who took him to the rescue station the next day; Brother Wang Jiale said that the police arrested him and searched his home without showing a search warrant. Mobile phones, iPads, and other electronic devices were not sealed, nor was a seizure list provided; Brother Ji Guolong mentioned that during the search, electronic devices were not turned off and were all vaguely put into a plastic bag; Brother Zhang Wang recalled that there were no witnesses during the search, and his wedding ring and laptop were seized and not sealed in front of him; Brother Li Chao said that after the police entered, they handcuffed him and his wife, made them sit on the sofa, guarded by police on both sides, and did not witness the search process. The witness arrived half an hour into the search, mobile phones and computers were not sealed, and the books were not counted at that time. The seizure list from his home showed more than 140 Bibles. Various versions of the Bible collected over the years, including the black-covered Bible for the elderly read by his parents and Bibles received as wedding gifts, were not on the seizure list. Religious books purchased online were not returned, and the police said they had been handed over to religious institutions, threatening to detain him again if he asked for them back; Sister Wang Honglan said that when she was arrested in the northeast, her mobile phone and ID were seized, and it was not until the next day in Hohhot that she signed anything. She only learned of the home raid after the prosecutor read the search and seizure evidence; Brother Ji Heying said that there were no witnesses during the seizure, and he was in the northeast with his wife Wang Honglan; Ban Yanhong mentioned that the police seized two mobile phones, four bank cards, an ID, and a small Bible he carried with him. The phones were not sealed.

The defense believes that the search and seizure procedures in this case involve the following serious legal violations:

1. The investigating unit for this case was the Hui District Public Security Bureau, but it was the investigators from the Hohhot City Public Security Bureau who conducted the on-site search;
2. Printing the search warrant on-site is illegal. According to the procedures for handling criminal cases by the public security organs, a search of the suspect and their residence can only be conducted after approval by the person in charge of the public security organs at or above the county level, and a search warrant must be presented to the person being searched;
3. The absence of witnesses at the search site is illegal. Even if there are witness signatures on the documents, without the witness’s identity information and contact details, it cannot be ruled out whether the witness is an investigator in this case or someone with a vested interest in this case;
4. Electronic data carriers such as mobile phones, computers, and USB drives were not sealed on-site, making it uncertain whether they were used after seizure and whether the electronic data was tampered with, thus casting doubt on the authenticity of the extracted electronic data;
5. Instead of being sent to a detention center, Yang Zhijun was taken to the Hohhot Rescue Station after a night of interrogation. Wang Yong and Wang Yunhe, police officers from the Hohhot City Public Security Bureau, are suspected of illegal deprivation of liberty and must bear the corresponding responsibilities;
6. Items unrelated to this case should be returned promptly. This includes four passports from Liu Minna’s family, officially published religious books from Li Chao’s family, preschool educational materials from Wang Honglan’s family, etc.

As some defense attorneys did not present cross-examination opinions due to time constraints, the collegiate bench announced a recess. There will be no session on Wednesday, and the trial will continue on Thursday at 10 AM.

【Romans 12:19】”Dear friends, do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

(Source: Public WeChat Account “Shake Your Hand,” December 6, 2023, published in Inner Mongolia. Republished with corrections)