Mr. Chen Jian was arrested when he asked for the release of his cousin, also Falun Gong practitioner. The police tortured him for 37 days to extort a confess, then the court sentenced him four years in prison under the guise that he persuaded people to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party.

Mr. Chen Jian Senteced Four Years in Prison after Being Tortured for 37 Days by Police

Mr. Chen Jian, 38, lives at the Beixing Farm of the Heilongjiang Province Agricultural Reclamation Bureau. He used to suffer from heart disease, but after practicing Falun Gong his illness disappeared. On November 26, 2008, Mr. Chen Jian was sentenced to four years in prison by CCP court, under the guise that he persuade his workmates to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party.

On May 22, 2008, Mr. Chen went to a supermarket owned by the Farm Police Department Chief Zhang Zhen's wife, and clarified the truth to her in the hope that she would help release his cousin Mr. Li Xianzhong, also a Falun Gong practitioner.

However, Mr. Chen was abducted at the supermarket by Officer Zhao Yingguang, his former schoolmate. Zhao personally took Mr. Chen to be detained in the Bureau Detention Center. During the interrogation on May 23, Zhao beat Mr. Chen cruelly. He hit Mr. Chen in the face, causing his nose to bleed and seven of his teeth to become loose.

Another officer, Sun Dongsheng, also joined in the beating. They beat Mr. Chen brutally for three rounds. They punched Mr. Chen in the head and kicked his legs. They fabricated interrogation records and then forced Mr. Chen to sign his name; otherwise they would continue to beat him. Hence, all the interrogation records were signed under coercion. One officer, Li Xiaodong, said to Zhao Yingguang, "You earned merit this time."

Mr. Chen later told guard Shao Zeqiang that he wanted another interrogation to be done, because the first one was fabricated under torture. Shao reported this to the Police Deputy Chief Xu Lianbin. Xu came and asked Mr. Chen Jian, "How dare you lie to police?"

Mr. Chen replied, "They beat me brutally. They forced me to sign false statements."

Xu asked again, "What kind of beating?"

Mr. Chen said, "They punched and kicked me."

Xu answered, "You got off easy, they should have used wooden boards."

As a result of this conversation, Xu Lianbin ordered the guards to handcuff and ankle shackle Mr. Chen. Guards then cuffed his hands behind his back from May 25 to June 30. During these 37 days, Mr. Chen could not eat or use the toilet by himself. He even had to sleep with his hands cuffed behind him. Xu Lianbin said to Mr. Chen, "There are no human rights for Falun Gong practitioners."

In the court, the prosecutor accused Mr. Chen of persuading the Eighth Group employees Chen Jun, Hu Jiafa, Gao Shujie and Zhao Haijun to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations. On November 26, 2008, Mr. Chen Jian was sentenced to four years in prison. Two other practitioners, Mr. Li Xianzhong (Mr. Chen Jian's cousin) and Mr. Yu You, were also sentenced to four years and six years of imprisonment, respectively.

On December 10, 2008, Mr. Li Xianzhong and Mr. Chen Jian's family hired a lawyer. When the lawyer questioned Judge Liu Dan, "Why don't you follow the law?" People down the whole courthouse hallway could hear Judge Liu Dan shouting, "I won't talk to you! I won't talk to you!"