Mr. Zhang Jinku and Mr. Mo Zhiqui Sentenced to Long Prison Terms and Tortured in Hulan Prison

Mr. Mo Zhiqui and Mr. Zhang Jinku were sentenced to 12 and 5 years in prison, respectively, for practising Falun Gong. They are presently held in the Hulan Prison of Heilongjiang Province.

Both practitioners were transferred to the prison hospital after having been tortured. Mr. Mo could no longer walk normally as a result of the abuse. Ms. Zhang has developed symptoms of tuberculosis and is extremely weak. He is disoriented and unable to control his urine and bowel movements.

The Yilan Court sentenced five Falun Gong practitioners, including Mr. Mo and Mr. Zhang, Sun Wenfu, Xu Feng, and Li Dapeng, to prison on March 29th, 2012. The practitioners were initially sent to Jiamusi Prison, but moved to Hulan Prison on September 19th, 2013.

Mr. Zhang in Critical Condition, Prison Refuses to Release Him

Mr. Zhang’s family tried to visit him at Hulan Prison three times. The prison authorities refused to grant visitation because Mr. Zhang would not renounce his faith in Falun Gong.

Mr. Zhang’s family was finally allowed to see him on October 21st. He could not walk unaided; two people had to hold his arms. He was trembling and said feebly, “A guy in a white gown beat me...” The two helpers moved him in the direction of a manager with surname Wang before he could finish the sentence. The family worried about what the prison authorities were hiding and what may have happened to their loved one.

Mr. Zhang’s family returned to Hulan Prison to see the deputy warden on November 6th. They told the deputy warden that Mr. Zhang had been interrogated and tortured at the Yilan County Police Department, which led to him developing tuberculosis. He had been treated for 8 days in the hospital before being taken to Jiamusi Prison, where he was force-fed. Upon being transferred to Hulan Prison on September 29th, 2013, he was disoriented, extremely weak, and unable to eat or speak. He was then beaten in the prison.

The family demanded that Mr. Zhang be released on medical parole. The deputy warden replied, “We will treat him if he is sick. There is no need for medical parole.” The family didn't take no for an answer and insisted that Mr. Zhang’s life was in danger. The deputy warden then said that he would report it to the higher authority if needed.

The family asked for the deputy warden’s name, but he and the rest of the guards refused to give their names.

A few minutes later, the deputy warden asked that the deputy manager of the correction department, Wang, attend the meeting. The 35-year-old Wang was responsible for “transforming” [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] practitioners. He wanted to know the family's views of Falun Gong.

A family member replied: “Practitioners follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The world needs these principles.”

Wang said that Mr. Zhang did not speak or cooperate with them when they wanted to treat him and was disrespectful. The family explained that Mr. Zhang had not committed any crime and did not speak in protest of being persecuted. Wang then denied that Mr. Zhan had been beaten and said that his condition did not warrant medical parole.

Wang refused to let the family see Mr. Zhang.

After leaving the prison, the family went directly to the provincial prison bureau. A staff member of the appeals office called Zhang Dongmei in the Hulan Prison and told her: “The family of Mr. Zhang Jinku, who is held in your prison, came to the appeals office. They said he is seriously ill and wanted him released for medical treatment. They also said that he was beaten in the prison. Why don’t you deal with it?” He then gave the family a phone number and told them to contact director Tang in the Hulan Prison.

We urge the world's people to help rescue Mr. Zhang and Mr. Mo, as well as all detained Falun Gong practitioners in China.