Practitioners Physically Abused and Tortured in Dezhou City Detention Centre in Shandong Province

Detention centres across China have detained practitioners and tortured them with beatings, slave labour, force-feedings, etc. since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong in July 1999. The practitioners' families also suffer from this persecution.

The following practitioners have been held and abused in Dezhou City Detention Centre. Some have died as a result of being subjected to this brutality.

Ms. Cheng Liping from Pingyuan County, Dezhou City, was arrested on the afternoon of November 28th, 2013, by officers from Qiancao Township Police Station. She was later handed over to Li Feng from the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), who called her husband and said, “If you don't pay us, she will be sentenced to three years.” When he failed to extort money from her family, Li Feng took Ms. Cheng to Dezhou City Detention Centre.

Officer Zhang Xikun and others from Decheng District Domestic Security Division arrested Liu Yuxiu and Luo Baoqing on September 7th, 2013. They are still in at the detention centre and have been made to do forced labour from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. every day, making flowers. They are not given enough to eat.

This intense work is very hard on the eyes. Their eyes have become swollen, and they are exhausted. They are not allowed to receive anything from their families, and are forced to buy all their daily necessities and clothes at high prices from the detention centre.

Mr. Wang Shulin was arrested on the afternoon of June 8th, 2013, for installing a satellite dish. He was taken to the detention centre, where he was punched, kicked, verbally abused, and forced to wear a prison uniform. The guards also tried to coerce him into giving up his belief.

Mr. Ma Hongwei was arrested on September 21st, 2009, and taken to Dezhou City Detention Centre by Zhang Xikun from the Domestic Security Division and another officer from Changzhuang Police Station. He was not allowed to sleep at night. Every time he began falling asleep, those monitoring him beat him to keep him awake.

Five days later, his legs began swelling, but the guards showed no concern. By the tenth day, his abdomen also began swelling, but the guards still didn't take any notice of him, and even said, “Who cares, as long as he's alive.” By October 7th, he had general edema, had difficulty breathing, and was vomiting blood. Police officer Zhang Xikun then called Mr. Ma's family to come sign a document before sending him to the hospital for emergency treatment, but nothing could be done.

Mr. Ma passed away at around 8:00 a.m. on November 5th, 2009, after vomiting a large quantity of blood.

Mr. Ma Yuqing was arrested and taken to Dezhou City Detention Centre by more than ten police officers on August 11th, 2009. He was locked up in a small dark room equipped with instruments of torture. The police ordered him to take off his clothes, and using threats, tried to make him tell them about other Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Ma refused to comply with any of their demands.

Domestic Security Division head Zhang Xikun and others arrested Ms. Cheng Bi on September 14th, 2007, and took her to Dezhou City Detention Centre. She was locked up in a small dark room and subjected to various forms of torture, including standing upright without moving for long hours, and being hung up by handcuffs. They took her photograph and fingerprints. She was forced to wear a prison uniform and do slave labour.

Zhang Xikun and a number of officers from the police station arrested elderly Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Huang Jianhua on September 10th, 2005, and took her to Dezhou City Detention Centre. She was forced to wear a prison uniform and do forced labour for more than 12 hours every day. She was not allowed to sleep at night and was forced to stand without moving for long periods of time. She was also verbally abused. When she was released 35 days later, she had to pay 100 yuan¹ for the use of bedding and 300 yuan for living expenses.

On September 10th, 2005, Zhang Xikun, along with seven or eight officers, broke into elderly Ms. Liu Guixiang 's house. They ransacked her home, stole her belongings, and took her to Dezhou City Detention Centre. Ms. Liu went on a hunger strike to protest, and was subjected to brutal force-feeding at the hands of guards and detention centre doctors.

Her limbs were tied to a bed, and she was held down for forced-feeding with a tube inserted into her stomach through her nose. While being inserted, the tube went into her windpipe. Ms. Liu could hardly breathe and was in great pain. She almost suffocated.

When the tube was pulled out, blood and food splashed onto the guards. The guards didn't have the slightest sense of guilt over her condition, and took Ms. Liu to Dezhou People's Hospital for more force-feeding.

Mr. Li Zhiyong was arrested by about ten officers on the afternoon of November 3rd, 2004, and taken to Dezhou City Detention Centre. He was locked up in a small dark room and hung up spread-eagle for seven or eight hours. He was also ordered to recite detention regulations, wear a prison uniform, and do slave labour.

Liu Yuxiu, Luo Baoqing, and Ms. Cheng Liping are still being detained in Dezhou City Detention Centre

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.