Mr. Cao Jingyu Dies After Enduring Seven Years of Imprisonment

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:
Name: Cao Jingyu

Gender: Male

Age: 40

Address: 717 Jiefang Blvd., Qiaokou District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province

Occupation : Unknown

Date of Death: September 22nd, 2013
Date of Most Recent Arrest: March 2003

Most Recent Place of Detention: Sihui Prison

City: Sihui

Province: Guangdong

Persecution Suffered : Detention, imprisonment, sleep deprivation, forced labour, brainwashing, beatings, denial of toilet use

Mr. Cao Jingyu, from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, was imprisoned for seven years for his belief in Falun Gong. He was greatly harmed during the incarceration. Upon his release, agents from the local 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) continued to harass him at home, and his health deteriorated further.

Mr. Cao passed away on September 22nd, 2013, at the age of 40.

Mr. Cao was born on August 6th, 1973, and graduated from the Naval University of Engineering. He started practising Falun Gong at the end of 1998. Seven months later, in July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the spiritual practice.

Mr. Cao went to Beijing in 2000 to appeal for the right to practise Falun Gong. He was arrested and detained at the Etouwan Brainwashing Centre in Wuhan City for almost two years. He eventually escaped from the brainwashing centre and went to Guangzhou City.

Mr. Cao was arrested again in March 2003, while in Guangzhou City. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. In 2004, he was transferred to the Sihui Prison in Guangdong Province.

Mr. Cao was tortured and force-fed during his incarceration. He was not allowed to buy any daily necessities. He was forced to do slave labour during the day and subjected to physical punishment at night.

He was transferred to the “Enforced Management” prison district in 2008. The guards assigned several inmates to monitor him and attempted to force him to renounce his faith in Falun Gong.

Mr. Cao was forced to sit with a military posture for prolonged periods of time. He was beaten, sworn at, and insulted, as well as deprived of sleep, food, and toilet use. His eyes were sprayed with mosquito repellent, which decreased his vision.

Some of the inmates wrote words defaming Falun Gong on the ground and on Mr. Cao's bed and tried to force him to step or lie on them. When Mr. Cao refused, he was forced to stand for eight days straight. Eight inmates took turns monitoring him. He was not allowed to move or sleep, and his legs became swollen.

Mr. Cao was later diagnosed with renal failure by the prison hospital. He had a big lump on his right cheek, and it constantly discharged pus.

Mr. Cao was released on November 18th, 2009. Thereafter, the Qiaokou District 610 Office personnel repeatedly came to his home to harass him. The head of the 610 Office, Xie Xiaofeng, also threatened and deceived Mr. Cao and his mother.

The abuse at the prison greatly harmed Mr. Cao. He never recovered his health and continued to be emaciated and ill upon his release.

Mr. Cao was sent to the Intensive Care Unit of the Zhongshan Hospital in Hubei Province on September 15th, 2013. However, he failed to respond to treatment and passed away on September 22nd.