Mr. Liu Qiang Became Mentally Disordered at the Xingtai Forced Labour Camp

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:

Name: Liu Qiang

Gender: Male

Age: 40s

Address: Neiqiu County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province

Occupation: Unknown

Date of Most Recent Arrest: October, 2010

Most Recent Place of Detention: Handan Forced Labour Camp

City: Handan

Province: Hebei

Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, forced labour, beatings, torture, force-feedings, detention

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Liu Qiang from Xingtai City, Hebei Province, became mentally disordered in 2011, while being detained in Xingtai Forced Labour Camp. After being subjected to brutal torture and becoming extremely weak, he was incarcerated for an additional two months after he had completed his term.

Mr. Liu was arrested in October 2010 by the county police. They confiscated his personal belongings including his computer and a printer without issuing a receipt. He was later sentenced to one year of forced labour and taken to Xingtai Forced Labour Camp.

Mr. Liu was assigned to the No. 3 Division, No. 1 Squad (fourth floor). Because he refused to memorize and recite the rules of the labour camp, he was beaten, dragged, kicked, and forced to stand for long periods of time by Zhang Xiuliang and other inmates. The division director, Fan Yongsheng, instigated the inmates to torture him even more brutally. Mr. Liu became unable to walk and had egg-sized scars behind both knees.

Despite his condition, Mr. Liu was deprived of sleep. After having endured brutal torture and intense pressure for several months, he eventually became mentally disordered on February 14th, 2011. However, the guards did not let up on him. He was strictly monitored, handcuffed at all times, and was subjected to force-feedings. He was not able to walk. Mr. Liu had become extremely weak by March 30th, and only then were the handcuffs and the catheter were removed. His term was extended for two more months. Fan Yongsheng was the division director at the time; Duan Zonghui, the political director; Wang Zepeng, assistant division director; and Zhou Zhiguo and Liu Qingshuan, squad leaders.

Mr. Liu was transferred to Handan Forced Labour Camp, No. 2 Division, on April 18th, 2011, along with all the other Falun Gong practitioners who were incarcerated there. The guards instigated inmate Gao Shengli to repeatedly beat Mr. Liu in an attempt to “transform” [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] him. They also stripped him naked in the toilet and whipped him with wet hand towels. The food that his family brought for him during visits was all taken by Gao Shenli. Mr. Liu was again transferred to the newly established No. 2 Division in September and the torture continued. He was beaten by inmates including Gao Shenli and Jiao Yufeng, was left standing for long periods of time, and had all his food taken from him. Mr. Liu suffered tremendously both physically and mentally while at the forced labour camps.