Businessman Dies within Two Months of Incarceration at Shanghai's Tilanqiao Prison

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:
Name: Zhao Bin

Gender: Male

Age: 58

Address: Room 102, Unit 2, 5882 East Beigong, Building 11, Kuiwen District, Weifang City, Shandong Province

Occupation : Businessman

Date of Death: October 19th, 2013

Date of Most Recent Arrest: April 27th, 2012

Most Recent Place of Detention: Tilanqiao Prison
City: Shanghai

Persecution Suffered : imprisonment, detention

Mr. Zhao Bin, a Falun Gong practitioner from Shandong Province, died within two month of being detained at Tilanqiao Prison, Shanghai, on October 19th, 2013. He was 58 years old.

Mr. Zhao was born on May 20th, 1955. He lived in the Kuiwen District, Weifang City, Shandong Province.

At the time of his arrest, Zhao Bin was doing business with Mr. Pang Guangwen, also a practitioner, in Sanzhao Town, Nanhui District, Shanghai.

Arrested and Sentenced to Prison

Mr. Zhao and Mr. Pang were arrested by officers from the Jiangsu Road Police Station, Changning District, Shanghai at 9:30 p.m. on April 27th, 2012, while at work. They were taken to the Changning District Detention Centre.

They were tried at the Changning District Court on July 11th, 2013. Mr. Zhao and Mr. Pang pleaded not guilty to any illegal activity. However, in a sham trial, Mr. Zhao was sentenced to a four-year prison term and Mr. Pang to a five-year term.

Mr. Zhao's term started on April 27th, 2012. He was taken to Tilanqiao Prison, Shanghai on September 3rd, 2013. He died on October 19th, 2013.

Tilanqiao Prison: “City of Death”

According to reports published on Minghui, Tilanqiao Prison is called the “City of Death,” because Falun Gong practitioners are tortured there, and a number of practitioners have died as a result. Torture methods include long-term sleep deprivation and beatings with multiple electronic batons. The prison guards order other inmates to brutally beat practitioners.

Under orders from the Shanghai 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), as well as encouraged by bonuses for each “transformed” [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] practitioner, guards at the Tilanqiao Prison torture practitioners daily.

Mr. Pang in Critical Condition

Mr. Pang Guangwen, born in Guangrao County, Dongying City, Shandong Province, in October 1977, was known to be an excellent student at Shandong Province University. However, because he practised Falun Gong, he didn't receive his graduation certificate.

Mr. Pang was sentenced to a five-year term, which started April 27th, 2012. His release date is April 26th, 2017. He was taken to the Tilanqiao Prison on September 3rd, 2013. His family received a call from a person surnamed Huang, a director in the prison, on October 2nd, 2013, telling them that Mr. Pang had been transferred to the Shanghai Prison General Hospital, because he couldn't retain any food and was in critical condition.

Individuals involved in the persecution and torture of practitioners at Tianlanqiao Prison:

Hou Ruiqin (female), deputy director of Education Division, Shanghai Prison Administration Bureau, and a director of the Shanghai 610 Office at the Shanghai Prison Administration Bureau. She is responsible for the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in that area. Phone: +86-13524716991 (mobile); Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison, operator: +86-21- 55589900, extension 1000.

Xu Haihong (female), Education Division of Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison. She is the main instigator in the persecution of practitioners in Tilanqiao Prison. She is also the representative from the Shanghai 610 Office at the prison. Her extensions are 1609, 3939, 1610.

Yin Guanghui, deputy director of Tilanqiao Prison. He is in charge of the persecution of practitioners. Address: No. 6 Ward, Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison: 147 Changyang Road, Shanghai, zip code: 200082.

Dai Weidong, director of the prison and deputy director of the Shanghai Prison Administration Bureau: +86-13701851126 (mobile), extension 6666, direct land line: +86-21-65848922