SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands, March 28 (AFP) - The detained leader of China's mystical Zhonggong group is confident of winning his freedom from jail on the US island of Guam next week, supporters said Wednesday.
Founder Zhang Hongbao, 46, came to Guam in January last year with a fake visa and in September the Immigration and Naturalisation Service denied his application for political asylum.
Since then he has been detained by the Department of Corrections ahead of an appearance on April 6 in the US District Court before Judge John Unpingco.
This week a group of supporters, including Wang Bingzhang who leads the Chinese Democracy and Human Rights Movement Worldwide, visited Zhang to discuss the hearing.
"Hes very confident, because we have a very strong lawyer group, including Bob Shapiro," Wang said Wednesday.
"We discussed with him how to deal with next months trial, which is very important. It is a critical moment for him, and well try our best to free him immediately because there is no legal basis for holding him physically for any longer."
They have enlisted attorney Robert Shapiro as co-counsel. He is best known for representing former US football hero O.J. Simpson during his sensational trial for murdering his wife.
Zhang founded the Zhonggong movement in the early 1990s. The meditative religion, which fully translates to the "China Health Care and Wisdom Enhancement Practice," reportedly has at least 30 million followers in China.
Zhonggong, along with the better known Falungong, is considered a threat to Communist Party rule.
Rooted in traditional Chinese martial arts exercises, both have commanded a following of tens of millions, many disillusioned by growing corruption and social problems in China.
China banned the Falungong movement in July last year and has since jailed core leaders for up to 18 years and sent tens of thousands to re-education camps.
The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy says the Chinese government has detained 600 Zhonggong leaders and shut down 3,000 Zhonggong training centers and businesses.
Zhangs Chinese supporters said the crackdown forced Zhang to flee to Guam and complained that China has unfairly associated Zhonggong with Falungong.
"Mr. Zhang Hongbao wants to inherit the traditional culture -- its very simple -- but its very challenging. Marxism is the official ideology of Communist China," Wang said.
Supporters claim that this is no longer a simple issue of asylum, but a serious issue that may cost Zhang his life if he is forced back to China.
The Chinese government claims that Zhang raped female members of his religious sect, even releasing to the media details surrounding the rape charges by providing statements by rape victims, the victims photographs, arrest warrants and other documents.
Zhangs local attorney Charles Kinnunen said his client's legal team is gearing up for the hearing next Friday.
"At this stage of the proceedings, were getting prepared," Kinnunen said. "We have a lot of evidence, and we are also going to weigh in with a lot of support from back in the states. Right now its a little early to say what our exact approach is going to be."
Kinnunen said that if Unpingco rules in favor of Zhang, he will be allowed to leave confinement and live in the community until his asylum appeal is heard, which may take some time.
According to Kinnunen, Zhangs asylum appeal will be heard in Virginia in the Board of Immigration Appeals court.
"That appeal should be filed sometime in April, and that should decide whether he gets asylum," Kinnunen said. "Were asking the board to review what the judge did."