(Clearwisdom.net) Former instructor at Shanghai Jiaotong University Mr. Guo Xiaojun was illegally sentenced to four years of imprisonment by the Baoshan Court in Shanghai on July 6. He filed an appeal. In his appeal letter, he described in detail how he was interrogated and tortured with the "stewing the eagle" method.
His family requested an open trial for the second hearing but was turned down by the judge, who said this was impossible. They consulted lawyers and were told that second hearings for normal cases are tried in open courts. However, the Communist regime has never followed legal procedures in its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. The so called court procedures adopted in the first hearing were simply a tactic used to deceive people.
Mr. Guo wrote in his appeal letter: "Around 2:15 p.m. on January 18, police officers Chou Feng and Peng (last name) from the 610 office from the Baoshan Police Department interrogated me on the second floor of the Baoshan Detention Center. They demanded that I admit that I had given a practitioner named Ying Yeqi some Falun Gong brochures. Around 5 p.m., they brought me back to my cell and kept threatening me.
Around 5:45 p.m., officers Chou and Peng took me to the special interrogation room on the first floor of the building. Walking through the door, you see an outer room with a sofa and electrical equipment on a cupboard against the wall. There is a door in the outer room leading into the inner room. This was where people were interrogated. In this room, there was a huge interrogation stand with a computer on it. There were four red markings on the floor and chairs were placed on these positions. Those who sat on these chairs faced three spotlights in the ceiling. Foam boards were glued onto the walls and there were tiny holes on these boards. I thought the foam boards were there to stop prisoners from hitting their heads on the wall during the interrogation. The tiny holes were for muffling sounds. The special interrogation room was already situated in a corner of the building. Furthermore, it was the inner room of a suite and it had soundproof walls. Thus no matter how loud you shouted, no one could hear you outside the room. I also saw an iron chair in the interrogation room on the second floor. There were four iron rings on the chair used to lock one's hands and legs. The atmosphere in the room was extremely terrifying.
Chou and Peng took turns threatening and interrogating me. When I could not lift my head and had to support it with my hands, Chou Feng came over and ordered me to put my hands down. He demanded that I lift my head and he rudely pushed my arms away. Peng even forbade me from closing my eyes. He mocked me, saying that if I was tired I could stand up. I suddenly thought of someone I knew who was once forced to stand for long hours in a labor camp as a form of torture. Both his legs consequently became swollen. I was very scared and did not dare to close my eyes. Thus I had to sit facing the three spotlights above my head. I asked Chou Feng if he intended to torture me with the "stewing the eagle" method. Instead he answered back in an intimidating tone: "I am not allowed to beat or reprimand you, what else can I do?"
Around 8 p.m., they changed shifts. Peng and Chou went home. Three officers from the Domestic Security Division: Bu Tingjun, Yang Yuefei and Shen Keyun took over. I thought of my wife who was once tortured with "stewing the eagle" for four days and nights by policemen from Minhang District Domestic Security Division. I also recalled three others who were tortured the same way by police officers from the same 610 Office for several days in 2000 and 2001. One of them was tortured like that for 10 days. Locked up in this terrifying place and seeing the three well fed and rested policemen who were just starting their shift, I felt as if I was stranded in a vast desert surrounded by evil.
They continued to interrogate me. They tried to deceive and threaten me. They took turns interrogating me, and then taking a break as the next one took over. Yang said, "We want you to admit that you gave Ying Yeqi some Falun Gong brochures. As long as you admit to doing this, and explain the matter clearly, you can go back to sleep. We know you did not give out the brochures, therefore it is not a serious offense. If you cooperate with us, you can be released on bail." Shen threatened to arrest my wife and interrogate her if I did not admit to the charges. He said: "Why was your wife sent to labor camp the last time? If both of you are detained, no one will take care of your son and the consequences will be very serious. Other practitioners have sat on the chair you are sitting on now. One of them did not survive." They kept on interrogating me, taking turns to have a rest.
Around 1 p.m. on the 19th, Chou Feng and Peng came to interrogate me again. They verbally abused me till 2:30 p.m. During that time, I was not given any food. I would only be allowed to go back to my cell if I submitted to their demands. Later on, I was brought to the special interrogation room twice. Officers Yang, Bu and Shen were the ones carrying out the interrogation most of the time. They wrote a statement and claimed that those were my words and demanded that I sign it.
I must report to the court today that what I have just narrated above is the truth. Everything the police officers told me during the interrogation is untrue and I was deceived. The truth is I was tortured during the interrogation and if I do not expose this, I will be unjustly thrown into prison.
I request that the court conduct an investigation into the matter and prove that everything I have said is true.
Guo Xiaojun also mentioned in his appeal: "According to the joint statement issued by the State Council Commission, evidence and statements obtained from interrogation through the use of torture cannot be regarded as court evidence. What I went through is in fact interrogation and torture. The statements they got from me and practitioner Ying Yeqi are therefore illegal and the court should not use them as evidence. I request that the court carry out thorough investigations."
The following Monday, Mr. Guo's family went to Baoshan Domestic Security Division to ask for his release. When they asked for an explanation as to why Mr. Guo was tortured during the interrogation, police officer Chen Keyun shouted at them: "We have already closed Guo Xiaojun's case. You can make appeals. We no longer handle this case."
A week later, Mr. Guo's family learned that there was conclusive evidence of the torture he suffered during the interrogation. They went to ask for his release again at the Baoshan Domestic Security Division. This time, officer Chen Keyun came to see them again. Mr. Guo's family requested that the officers who took part in the interrogation and torture write a letter of apology. They told Chen that overseas graduates of Jiaotong University who had seen the statement written by Mr. Guo intended to publicize this matter by handing Mr. Guo's appeal letter to human rights organizations such as the United Nations. They hoped that the Domestic Security Division would release Mr. Guo before the matter went further.
Chen Keyun said: "Let me tell you that this is impossible. We have already concluded Guo Xiaojun's case. You can go through legal procedures and sue whoever you like. As a citizen of the People's Republic of China, you have to bear legal responsibility for reporting this matter either on overseas media or on the Internet." Mr. Guo's family asked him: "Are you threatening us? Are you representing yourself or the Domestic Security Division?" He said: "Of course I represent the Domestic Security Division. In the future, we will not see you if you come to us again regarding Guo's case."
Recently, Mr. Guo's family and his lawyer made a phone call and also sent a letter to Yu Liang, judge of the Shanghai City Second Intermediate Court. They informed him that on behalf of overseas graduates of Jiaotong University, they ask for an open trial on the second hearing of Mr. Guo's case. Unexpectedly, the judge immediately replied: "That is impossible!" This shows that the trial held by the courts at the first hearing was just a staged act for the world to see. They cannot even be bothered to put up this show for the second hearing.
Many of Mr. Guo's former colleagues at Jiaotong University expressed their fury and shock when they learned about the torture and his unjust sentence.
New clauses in criminal law stipulate that statements obtained through interrogation using torture cannot be treated as evidence. The Shanghai City Second Intermediate Court refused to carry out investigations even though it is clearly evident that Mr. Guo was tortured during the interrogation. This is a blatant disregard for the law and the Court does not even bother to cover up their violation of the law by putting up any pretense.
Related article: "Instructor at Shanghai Jiaotong University Sentenced to Four Year Prison Term" http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/8/3/119022.html