Jilin Man Dies of Torture-Induced Health Problems

Mr. Zhu Haishan, 73, was never able to recover from his torture-induced health problems. He died two years and four months after his release from imprisonment for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.

The Yushu City resident was arrested on July 23rd, 2010 and sentenced to three and a half years five months later. As he held firm to his faith, the guards at Shiling Prison subjected him to various forms of abuse.

They slapped him in the face, forced him to sit still on a small bench, and shocked his groin area with electric batons. The unrelenting abuse soon led to various health problems for him.

The guards eventually took him to a local hospital in April 2012 when he fell into critical condition. He was diagnosed with severe heart problems, high blood pressure, and pleural effusion. The doctors drained 8 pounds of fluid from his chest.

Mr. Zhu was driven back to the prison before being given any further medical treatment. His family's request for medical parole was turned down. He was made to suffer from continued abuse and health complications during the rest of his imprisonment.

The years-long abuse eventually robbed him of his life. Mr. Zhu died on April 18th, 2016.

Prior to his latest incarceration, Mr. Zhu was once given one year of forced labour in 2000. He was forced to work in rice paddy fields without pay every day. Upon his term expiration, the guards extorted 2,000 yuan¹ from his family before releasing him.

He was targeted again during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The police extorted 1,000 yuan from his family for failing to keep him home.

Note

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