(Minghui.org) Jiazhou Prison, located in Leshan City in Sichuan Province, is one of the prisons designated to hold and persecute male Falun Gong practitioners in the area.
In addition to the forced, unpaid labor, imprisoned practitioners are also subjected to different methods of torture, including prolonged standing, electric shocks, beatings, and restricted meal times. Practitioners are not allowed to talk to each other either.
Mr. Xu Qiyang, a 78-year-old retired teacher, was violently abused on the afternoon of August 7, 2020, after he was seen talking with a few other Falun Gong practitioners in the courtyard of the prison.
When a guard scolded him, Mr. Xu said to him, “We are detained here illegally. Not allowing us to speak to each other is unfair and discriminatory.”
Prison superintendent Fang Dong overheard Mr. Xu. He claimed that Mr. Xu was rude and shouted at him, “You are a criminal ...”
Mr. Xu replied, “We are innocent. There is no legal basis for imprisoning us.”
Fang Dong then instructed two inmates to tie Mr. Xu’s hands and feet together. They also tried to stuff a very stinky fruit into his mouth. When Mr. Xu resisted, the inmates knocked two of his front teeth out, stuffed something stinky into his mouth, and put a motorcycle helmet on his head. Mr. Xu’s mouth was dripping blood.
Background
Mr. Xu was arrested on August 23, 2012, along with two other practitioners. He was tried by the Xingwen County Court on January 31, 2013. During the trial, Mr. Xu said in his defense, “I cultivate Falun Gong and follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. This is not only my own personal belief but also the belief of millions of Chinese. The CCP persecutes Falun Gong. My printing and handing out fliers clarifying the facts is protected by the Chinese Constitution. It is my legal right. We do this to stop the persecution.”
He was sentenced to eight years in prison on May 7, 2013.
Mr. Huang Shunkun, who was tried at the same time as Mr. Xu, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was assigned to Leshan Prison, but the prison declined to admit him citing his long sentence. The police brought him back to the local detention center, where he was subjected to constant abuse. The police later managed to have him admitted to Aba Prison where he was tortured to death on September 30, 2016.
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Category: Accounts of Persecution
