Mr. Zhang Jinku in Critical Condition—His Family Given Runaround Concerning Medical Parole

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Jinku is being held in Hulan Prison and is in very poor health. His family requested an examination and medical parole at the Heilongjiang Bureau of Prisons on January 24th, 2014.

His family was advised for the third time to talk to Hulan Prison officials about having him released on medical parole.

Family Threatened

Mr. Zhang's family hoped that the issue could be solved at the administrative level, so they waited for an hour in the hallway to meet with the superior officer. They were then threatened that police would be called if they didn't leave. A police car, registration number A2174, with four officers, arrived at about 11:00 a.m. Mr. Zhang's family left.

His family returned to the Hulan Prison Appeals Office that same afternoon and requested to see the video of their last meeting with Mr. Zhang on January 9th, 2014, to verify his health condition. The family reported that Mr. Zhang told them he had been beaten in prison. Guard Wang Xiaochen denied it, but refused to show the video.

In Critical Condition

Family visits were disallowed for a long time. The family was finally able to visit Mr. Zhang on January 9th, 2014, and saw that he was in very poor health. The tuberculosis he had contracted at Yilan County No. 1 Detention Centre, where he was held after his arrest, had worsened, and his face was badly swollen. His could barely speak as his words were slurred, and he could no longer walk unaided.

His family consulted a specialist, who said that Mr. Zhang's central nervous system may have been damaged from the forced drug administration. The swollen face indicated lung and cardiac problems. The doctor warned the family that Mr. Zhang's life was in imminent danger based on the family's description.

Arrest and Torture

Mr. Zhang is from Boli County, Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province. He was arrested on March 29th, 2013, at which time he was healthy, and taken to the Yilan County No. 1 Detention Centre, where he was brutally beaten by guard Yang Xinhua and another guard with the surname of Bai.

The left side of his rib cage was severely injured and he lost several teeth. He was forced to sit on a “torture chair” for 48 hours. His h ands were handcuffed behind his back with one hand crossed over his shoulder. His injuries caused inflammation of the lungs, and he contracted tuberculosis.

He was later sentenced to five years in prison and transferred to Hulan Prison.