Mr. Li Hongwei's Health Failing Due to Torture in Benxi Prison

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Li Hongwei has been held in Benxi Prison, Liaoning Province since August 2016. Due to brutal beatings, long hours of hard labor, electric shock torture, and other forms of persecution, Mr. Li's health has severely deteriorated.

Mr. Li was arrested on June 20, 2016 by officers from the Hunnan District Police Branch, Liaoning City. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison and fined 10,000 yuan by the Hunnan District Court in August 2016.

Mr. Li was healthy when he was sent to prison. However, when his family visited him on September 21, 2017, they saw his deteriorated condition and became very concerned.

He was carried out by two people. His right pant leg was rolled up, and there was a large pustule on his right calf that was purple and black. His eyesight was so poor that even with his face against the glass partition, he was unable to clearly see the family member facing him on the other side.

Mr. Li Hongwei

Mr. Li was transferred to the No. 8 Prison Ward in Benxi Prison on October 10, 2016. While in the strictly-controlled team for newcomers, he was beaten by the head inmate because he refused to recite the prison regulations.

Tortured in Prison

He was forced to do hard labor, working from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with a lunch break of 5-10 minutes and a 10-minute break in the morning and afternoon.

On November 20, 2016, Chen Geng (head of No. 1 Guard Team) slapped Mr. Li in the face because he closed his eyes during work.

A few days later, on November 24, 2016, Chen Geng was on duty during the night shift and tried to force Mr. Li to recite the prison regulations. When Mr. Li refused, Chen took Mr. Li to the storage room in the workshop and shocked him with an electric baton. Another practitioner, Mr. Zhang Hongtao, was also shocked during that time.

During a break, at around 9:15 a.m. on December 28, 2016, in front of more than 100 inmates, Chen Geng forcefully beat Mr. Li on both sides of his temples. He also severely kicked Mr. Li with the rear heel edge of his shoe. Mr. Li has since experienced dizziness and had difficulty walking.

Mr. Li was subjected to another round of beatings in the workshop storage room at around 2:35 p.m. on March 23, 2017. Chen Geng and another guard forced Mr. Li to sit on the floor to recite the prison regulations. When Mr. Li refused, Chen Geng kicked him again with the rear heel of his shoe on his shoulders and on his temples. Mr. Li immediately fell to the ground and was unable to get up.

Torture Re-enactment: Vicious beating

Deteriorating Health

The repeated beatings and mental duress have damaged Mr. Li's health. He is now weak and thin, with severe dizziness, and his eyesight is poor. He has also lost control of the right side of his body. He is always thirsty and drinks more than a gallon of water per day.

Since his condition continued deteriorating, he was finally sent to the prison hospital for a check-up on May 10, 2017. He was then taken to Benxi Center Hospital for further examination on May 27. The exam results showed that his fasting blood glucose level was up to 44.4 mmol/L. The normal range for fasting blood glucose is 3.9 ~ 6.1mmol/L.

Parties responsible for the persecution:

Liaoning Province Department of Justice:Hotline for public reporting: [phone]Lin Zhimin (林志敏), head of the Liaoning Province Department of JusticeYu Dali (于大力), deputy of the Liaoning Province Department of Justice

Liaoning Province Prison Administration Bureau:Public hotline: [phone]Yao Shiming (姚世明), head of Liaoning Province Prison Administration Bureau

Benxi Prison:Persons in charge:Bao Jieqing (鲍杰清), [phone]Han Zhaoyou (韩兆有), [phone]Administration Office of No. 8 Prison Ward, [phone]Workshop: [phone]