(Minghui.org) Under the leadership of Li Guoyu, Zhang Shilin, and Song Xuesen, Gangbei Prison authorities in Tianjin have been brutally torturing and abusing Falun Gong practitioners for more than 10 years.
Gangbei Prison changed its name to Binhai Prison in 2011. During a talk Zhang Shilin gave in front o practitioners when attempting to “transform” them, a practitioner asked him about the many doubtful points in the “self-immolation” video. Zhang said, “You dare to question me?” Gangbei Prison established a special team to torture the practitioners who refused to give up their belief and cooperate with the prison.
Gangbei Prison guards enlist the aide of criminals such as rapists, murderers, and drug addicts to torture and abuse practitioners. Pressured by both the national and international communities, Gangbei Prison describes itself as “ humanitarian and civil.” To Falun Gong practitioners' families, prison personnel present themselves as “kind.” Inside the prison walls, however, they intimidate and entice criminal inmates to torture practitioners.
Once a criminal inmate is considered a candidate for “personal monitoring,” he is forced to watch videos that slander Falun Gong, like those that lie about the staged self-immolation. The monitor is given permission to abuse the practitioner anyway he wants to. The monitors have to follow the practitioners they are told to watch and remain within two meters around the clock, even in the bathroom. They have to record the practitioner's every move. If the guards are pleased with a monitor, he might be rewarded or have his sentence shortened. When the guards are unhappy with a monitor, he will have 3-7 points deducted from his monthly record, and other inmates might punish him. For instance, guard Liu Chao instructed inmates to beat Mr. Zhu Wenhua, who died from the beating. Guard Song Xuesen oversaw the torture of practitioner Mr. Zhou Xiangyang from outside of the brig. Whenever the painful screams and beating sounds stopped, Song would threaten the inmates, “Do you still want this job? Get out if you don't!” Guards get rewarded when a practitioner is “transformed.” If a major injury or death occurs, the inmates take the blame. Some inmates know the truth about good and evil, but for the benefit of a shortened sentence and not having to do hard labor, they work for and cooperate with the prison.
1. Two Falun Gong practitioners “pinned to the floor” and beaten to death
-Mr. Li Xiwang died on July 29, 2011, after being “pinned to the floor”
Mr. Li Xiwang
Mr. Li Xiwang was a business owner. He was generous and honest and liked to help those in need. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2001 because he practiced Falun Gong and sent to Gangbei Prison. Since Mr. Li refused to renounce his belief, prison official Zhang Shilin targeted him as a key person to be "transformed." The guards pinned him to the floor. At Zhang's instruction, Mr. Li's hands were cuffed to a pole with his face against the ground. His feet were attached to two poles with the heaviest shackles in the prison. One foot was tied at a higher position than the other. He was left like that for 28 days. It is said that those who are tortured in this way never survive more than six days. The guards were surprised that Mr. Li was still alive the day he was taken down. One of Zhang's favorite torture techniques is solitary confinement in a 10-square-foot cell. This small cell has only a small door used for passing meals. Mr. Li was locked in it for over a year. He ate, slept, and relieved himself in the same cell.
Torture re-enactment: Pinning to the floor
A year after Mr. Li was released, he was taken to Gangbei Prison again in 2011. After ten days of torture from July 18 to 29, Mr. Li died from being “pinned to the floor.” Zhang Shilin was mainly responsible for Mr. Li's death. To resist brainwashing and “transformation,” Mr. Li went on a hunger strike. After trying all the usual methods on Mr. Li, Zhang said, “I don't know what to do with him. It's up to you now!” Mr. Li was pinned to the floor in the worst possible position with both legs wide apart, hands tied together with one leg, and another leg tied separately. The maximum length of time a healthy young man can last being tortured like this is two hours. At Zhang's instruction, the guard on duty extended the time to eight hours. When the guard opened the small cell early in the morning, Mr. Li was already dead.
Zhang attempted to cover up his crime and avoid responsibility. After Mr. Li died, Gangbei Prison, the Prison Administration Bureau, and the Tianjin No. 2 Procuratorate worked together to cover up the truth.
-Mr. Zhu Wenhua beaten to death in 2010
Mr. Zhu Wenhua was formerly employed by the Tianjin City International Heating and Ventilation Equipment Limited Company. He was arrested on May 31, 2003, because he practiced Falun Gong and spoke in public about the persecution. Mr. Zhu was give a nine-year sentence at Gangbei Prison. Under Zhang Shilin's “firm” brainwashing, Mr. Zhu was brutally beated, shocked with electric batons, “pinned to the ground,” etc..
Mr. Zhu would not yield and give up his belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. As instructed by Zhang and prison guard Liu Chao, drug addict criminals dragged Mr. Zhu to a storage room. Hidden from view, Mr. Zhu was brutally beaten for seven hours. He was later pronounced dead at Dagang Hospital. As a rule, Gangbei Prison does not let prisoners die inside the prison, but to cover up the cause of Mr. Zhu's death, Zhang and others changed the prison gate records to show Mr. Zhu had already died before exiting the prison for medical attention. Thus, the hospital's record on Mr. Zhu was incomplete, and the cause of his death was "inconclusive."
Torture re-enactment: Severe beating
Four criminals, including Wang Jianduo, Zhang Di, and two others, took part in beating Mr. Zhu. After Mr. Zhu's death, all the surveillance cameras in the storage room were taken down, the walls were repainted, and inmates who knew about the beating were moved to different cells. That same year, all the guards who were involved or knew about the beating were transferred to other agencies. Since that time, the prison now gives Falun Gong practitioners routine physical exams, which are video recorded.
2. Mr. Ren Dongsheng suffers a mental collapse after being given unknown drugs
Mr. Ren Dongsheng, 48, was persecuted in Gangbei Prison for several years. He was confined to a solitary cell, tied up, and pinned to the ground many times. He was slapped in the face and brutally beaten. Once, Mr. Ren's toes were stepped on and his toenails were ground off. An inmate was assigned to torture him. The inmate put handcuffs and shackles on Mr. Ren's wrists and ankles. He also put Mr. Ren's meal on the floor so Mr. Ren could not reach it. Mr. Ren had to use his mouth to reach food or water. At times they threw food on the ground for him to eat. Other times, the guards arranged for six or seven inmates to brutally beat him. One time the inmates used wooden bats as thick as a man's arm to beat him. When he was doing forced labor, he often shouted, “Falun Dafa is good!” After that, five or six inmates would come and beat him. This happened more than five times.
Torture re-enactment: Severe beating
On March 7, 2011, Mr. Ren had completed his five-year term. Around eight o'clock that morning, his 80-year old mother brought Mr. Ren's son to the prison to pick up Mr. Ren and take him home. However, he had already been taken to a brainwashing center. After another week, Mr. Ren's mother was able to pick him up from the brainwashing center and take him home, but he had already become mentally unstable. Mr. Ren's mother recalled that, about eight months before he was scheduled for release, the guards would not allow her to see him anymore. About a month before his release, she did see him. At that time Mr. Ren did not say much, but he appeared normal. By the time he returned from the brainwashing center, though, he was no longer normal. She could not help but cry when she saw him.
After returning home, Mr. Ren was at times normal but often acted erratically. He was unable to take care of himself. He often tied himself up or made a mess inside the house. He would wake up suddenly at night and shout, “I am not afraid of you!” Whenever someone mentioned something about police officers, he would immediately appear frightened and talk to himself, saying that he had to run now or he might be caught. Then, he would disappear, sleeping by the roadside, and come home after a few days. When he was normal, he told his mother that evil people would beat him to death if he did not give up his Falun Gong practice. He also told his mother that those people gave him a white powder to take and told him that it was indigo root.
Soon after Mr. Ren returned home, an officer from Chenguan Town in Jinghai County came to his home to see how he was doing. Mr. Ren appeared frightened. In grief and indignation, his mother said to the officer, “You have made him this way, and yet you still won't leave him alone.” The policeman left.
Years of persecution devastated Mr. Ren's family. Mr. Ren's son has to earn a living to support his grandmother and father. He then has to visit his mother, also a Falun Gong practitioner, who is still in prison.
3. Three Falun Gong practitioners became disabled due to physical abuse
-Mr. Wu Dianzhong lost the ability to care for himself
On September 23, 2009, Mr. Wu's fifth day in Gangbei Prison, inmates Zhang Suo, Zhang Xiaoyue, Zhang Di, and Zhang Jianmin, claimed that Mr. Wu would have to sit on a small stool from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. unless he renounced Falun Gong. Mr. Wu refused to cooperate with them.
The four inmates tried to push Mr. Wu onto the stool. They held down his feet and pushed him forward. Then they held his head down. At that time, a cracking noise came from Mr. Wu's back. All of a sudden, Mr. Wu felt weak all over and lost feeling in his upper body. The inmates were in a panic and took Mr. Wu to Gangbei Hospital (the prison hospital). Mr. Wu's blood pressure reached 260 mmHg, but he refused treatment. The doctor asked him why. He said, “I will ask my family to sue the person who harmed me. They don't have the right to treat me like that.” Mr. Wu was carried back to the cell.
The inmates pulled Mr. Wu out of bed at 5:00 a.m. the next day, despite the fact that Mr. Wu couldn't lift his head. Inmate Zhang Di pushed and punched Mr. Wu in the chest and injured his ribs. Inmate Zhang Xiaoyue kneed Mr. Wu in the back. Guards who were monitoring in the control room could see everything that went on.
Mr. Wu was released on January 12, 2013. He is unable to do any work. He was diagnosed with damage to the vertebrae between his chest and lower back, which showed signs of separation. Mr. Wu now has difficulty walking and experiences excruciating pain in his back. He cannot take care of himself.
-Mr. Li Xiliang in Gangbei Prison for 11 years and now unable to care for himself
Mr. Li Xiwang's elder brother, Mr. Li Xiliang, was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. By the end of 2012, Mr. Li Xiliang had spent 11 years in Gangbei Prison. His condition is grave, and he has lost the ability to care for himself. His family has asked for his release many times, but the prison continues to deny their request. The prison authorities claim that their rule is that Mr. Li will not be released unless he is in critical condition. Mr. Li's family is very worried. They fear for his life, since his brother died of the abuse he endured in the prison.
-Mr. Dong Guangdong limps as a result of trauma to his leg
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Dong Guangdong is 45 years old. He is a farmer from Zhongxinggu Village, Dabeijiangu Town, Ninghe County, Tianjin. Since 2012, Mr. Dong has been developing symptoms of severe illnesses as a result of long-term physical abuse and torture while in Gangbei Prison. He suffers from poor eyesight and is no longer able to see things clearly in close proximity. He also limps as a result of the injuries inflicted on his legs. The inside of his mouth has been festering and swollen for a long time, and his teeth have fallen out. He frequently vomits and can't eat properly. He lost 7 pounds in one month. He is emaciated and weak.
4. "Destroy them physically”
-The brutal persecution of Mr. Zhou Xiangyang
Mr. Zhou Xiangyang was arrested in May, 2003. He was sentenced to nine years and sent to Gangbei Prison. He was “pinned to the ground” many times and subjected to different kinds of tortures. Starting in March 2011, he went on a hunger strike for over 300 days, until early 2012. By that time, his heart rate was 40 beats per minute and he was in critical condition. His family asked for his release. Prison director Li Guoyu told Mr. Zhou's family that they would look into it when Mr. Zhou was closer to death. At that time, Mr. Zhou only had three more months of his term left. After this incident was exposed both inside China and overseas, under tremendous pressure, the prison released Mr. Zhou for medical attention.
-Mr. Hua Lianyou in critical condition
Mr. Hua lianyou is from Tianjin. He was arrested on April 24, 2012, and started a hunger strike on May 23 to protest the illegal detention. He was sentenced to seven years in September 2012 and sent to Gangbei Prison. Up until January 2013, Mr. Hua had been on hunger strike to protest the persecution for eight months. He is now unable to care for himself. According to the prison physician, Mr. Hua's organs are failing and he is in critical condition: “He might die at any minute.” When Mr. Hua's family asked for his release, the reply they got was: “When he is closer to death and meets the qualifications, then we will consider releasing him." When Mr. Hua's family asked the prison personnel what the “qualifications” are, they were not given a clear answer.
5. Unusually cruel forms of torture used on Mr. Nie Baoli, Mr. Liu Huijiang, and Mr. Zhao Gang
-Mr. Nie Baoli abused and tortured
Gangbei Prison uses extremely cruel methods of torture on Falun Gong practitioners who are steadfast in their belief. Mr. Nie Baoli was sent to Gangbei Prison in September, 2002. He was made to squat for over ten hours a day. Mr. Nie told prison guards that Falun Gong did not break any laws and what they, the guards, were doing was against the law. Zhang Shilin and the guards told him to write a guarantee statement but he refused. They then did not allow him to sleep. He was locked up in a small cell. Zhang Shilin and Liu Haijun would kick Mr. Nie whenever he fell asleep. He went on a hunger strike to protest the persecution.
Torture re-enactment: Forced feeding
As directed by Zhang Shilin and Yang Zhongshui, criminal inmates force-fed Mr. Nie in the prison hospital every day. Inmates who force-fed Mr. Nie included: Liu Haijun from the Dagang District, Cao Jinge from the Nankai District, Huang Zhen from Jinnan, and others. Six inmates held him down during the force-feeding. Zhang later told the inmates to tie him to a chair. Mr. Nie lost consciousness every time they force-fed him. Sometimes he would be in and out of consciousness three or four times. Zhang and prison hospital director Meng told inmates to puncture Mr. Nie's fingers and feet with needles and smear ammonia under his nose to wake him up. Inmate Liu Haijun often hit and kicked Mr. Nie. In the prison hospital, four inmates lifted him up by his arms and legs and threw him on the floor, fracturing his backbone. Zhang and Meng said to Mr. Nie, “Are you afraid of death? If not, then sign your name, and we will let you die tomorrow on the operating table.” Zhang said, “Don't even think about leaving here without writing a repentance letter. We will make you wish you were dead!”
This inhumane torture injured Mr. Nie both physically and mentally. His pulse was between 30 to 40 beats per minute. Afraid of being held responsible, Gangbei Prison authorities transferred him to Dagang District Hospital, where he was injected with unknown drugs. He was injected with one bottle very 20 to 40 minutes. After a short while, Mr. Nie felt pain in his blood vessels, so he yanked out the IV. A hospital physician told the accompanying prison guard that the drug appeared to be ineffective for Mr. Nie, as Mr. Nie had been receiving it for eight hours, and it usually takes three hours to see its effect. Mr. Nie suspected that the drug was harmful. Inmates Dong and Hao and two guards took turns watching Mr. Nie. It was not until his condition deteriorated that his family threatened Zhang, saying “You put him in this condition in 50 days. You are in charge of him! If something happens to him, you will not hear the end of it!” To avoid being held responsible, the prison let Mr. Nie go home.
Mr. Nie spent about 40 days in Gangbei Prison and 10 days at Dagang District Hospital. Those responsible for ill-treating him were Zhang Shilin, Yang Zhongshui, and hospital director Meng.
-Mr. Liu Huijiang brutally abused
Mr. Liu Huijiang, 44, a retired battalion-level military officer, was arrested in the Xiqing District of Tianjin on November 30, 2008. He was sentenced on August 31, 2010 and sent to Gangbei Prison.
Once Mr. Liu arrived at the prison, he was beaten by inmates Zhang Dong and Liu Yongtao. Guard Gao Peizhi then chained him with handcuffs and shackles before sending him to Team 8 for “severe discipline.” Mr. Liu was given a piece of bread and a small cup of water every meal. He was forced to sit on a 20-centimeter tall bench, while his hands and feet were chained to rings embedded in the concrete floor. He had to remain stooped-over and eat off the floor and was only allowed to use a portable toilet. He remained in a seated position even while he slept, and the other inmates woke him up at all hours. Zhang Dong constantly verbally abused and spit on him. The torture lasted for 8 days. He collapsed when he was finally released.
Starting on November 28, 2010, Gangbei Prison intensified its persecution of Mr. Liu by organizing a dozen people to verbally assault him for two weeks. After that, Zone 5 supervisor Zhang Shilin and deputy squad chief Song Xuesen ordered deputy team leader Gao Peizhi to organize a group of eight criminal inmates to step up the intensity of the torture. During Mr. Liu’s rest time from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., he had to put one hand outside of the blanket to make certain he did not do the Falun Gong exercises. Inmates Zhou Wuliang and Jia Yuwen were assigned to record Mr. Liu’s every expression and movement. To keep Mr. Liu awake, they inserted pubic hair into his mouth, put thread on his face, cursed Dafa in his ear, and sometimes pulled a blanket over his face.
All day long, Mr. Liu was forced to sit still on a small stool. Song Hui sat in front of him, and Zhang Meng sat behind him. They constantly harassed him to sit up straight and face the surveillance camera. When Mr. Liu needed to use the restroom, he had to yell at the top of his lungs to request permission.
On the ninth day, the skin on his buttocks began to decay and stick to his pants. When he removed his pants, the skin on his buttocks often tore open and bled. Despite this, Mr. Liu still had to sit straight and still. Before he was able to sit up straight, he had to endure the sharp pain for several minutes until his buttocks became numb. His underwear and pants were soaked through with blood and pus every day. His wounds were not treated until a month later, but he still had to sit up straight. They also reduced his sleep time and attempted to force him into saying slanderous things about the founder of Falun Gong, but Mr. Liu refused their demands.
As a result, Mr. Liu was injured severely, both physically and mentally. This inhumane treatment left large scars on his buttocks.
-Mr. Zhao Gang deprived of sleep and made to sit on a small stool
Mr. Zhao Gang was sentenced to six years in prison. He was sent to Gangbei Prison on April 13, 2010. Guard Liu Zaili instructed inmates to torture him. He was only allowed to sleep from midnight to 4 a.m. and was constantly disturbed during that time. He spent the rest of his days sitting up straight on a small stool. Inmates put papers under Mr. Zhao's arms and between his legs. He would be cursed at and spit on if he dropped the paper. He would get beaten if he shifted his body. Inmates Zhang Dong, Cheng Shengjie, etc. beat Mr. Zhao in a storage room many times. One inmate would stand in front of the surveillance camera while the other inmates beat Mr. Zhao in a prison cell. In addition, inmates abused Mr. Zhao by withholding meals, limiting water, and restricting restroom use.
Torture re-enactment: Sitting on small stool for extended periods of time
6. Prison guard Zhang Shilin
Zhang Shilin is in charge of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in Gangbei Prison. His work identification number is 1208217. He is about 170cm tall. His skin tone is slightly dark and his body build is slim. His eyebrows wrinkle when he pretends to be nice.
On July 20, 1999, when Jiang Zemin started the persecution of Falun Gong, he coerced law enforcement and civilians to join the persecution. For the past 12 years, enticed by power and money, Zhang Shilin has been following throught with this effort and uses physical torture and mental abuse to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.
According to the law in China, Zhang has committed the following crimes in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners: homicide, detention without a legal warrant, torture during interrogation, physically harming others, denying freedom of belief, not fulfilling his duty at work, etc. His crimes are all recorded and will be used to bring him to justice some day. Civil Servants Law, chapter nine, article 54 says: “Civil servants who implement decisions or orders against the law will assume the corresponding responsibility”
Epilogue
The crimes that Gangbei Prison has committed against Falun Gong practitioners have been exposed. The above examples are only a few typical cases from years of persecution. More will come to light. At the same time, we know that not everyone at Gangbei Prison has participated in the persecution. Some prison personnel and inmates know the truth about Falun Gong but were afraid to speak up. Some of them participated in the persecution against their will.
We advise those who persecute Falun Gong practitioners that virtue has its rewards and evil incurs retribution. Many examples of this have been published on the Minghui website.
Related articles:
Tianjin Factory Owner Mr. Li Xiwang Died as a Result of Persecution
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2011/8/10/127397.html
Mr. Wu Dianzhong Lost the Ability to Take Care of Himself after Four-Year Incarceration in Gangbei Prison http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2013/2/6/137384.html
Letter from Torture Victim of Gangbei Prison, Tianjin
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/2/27/131783.html
Mr. Zhu Wenhua Beaten to Death During Detention in Gangbei Prison in Tianjin City http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2010/11/3/121229.html
Ren Dongsheng Suffers Mental Breakdown after Being Given Unknown Drug, His Wife Still in Prison http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/12/18/136700.html
Mr. Dong Guangdong in Critical Condition Due to Severe Physical Abuse in Binhai Prison http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/3/17/132144.html
Additional Persecution News from China – October 19, 2012 (19 Reports)
http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/10/27/136051.html
Binhai Prison in Tianjin Tortures Practitioners Zhao Gang, Liu Huijiang and Zhang Ziwen http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/10/4/135709.html
