Dafa Practitioner Liu Xiaodong Tortured to Death at Beian Prison in Heilongjiang Province

Liu Xiaodong, 33, was an employee at the Hailun City Credit Union in Heilongjiang Province. He was an excellent employee and everybody praised him for his good performance and noble character.

On January 20, 2003, Mr. Liu was arrested at work by the local police. After being held in a jail for 4 days, he was transferred to a detention centre, where he was chained to an iron chair inside an iron cage. Every day the police tortured him using various means. They did not give him any food to eat, nor did they allow him to use the toilet. They also tried to force him to sign materials slandering Dafa. In order to protest the persecution, Liu Xiaodong went on a hunger strike.

During Mr. Liu's 8-day hunger strike, detention centre director Qu Wanhai beat him in person. Qu also ordered the police to hit Liu Xiaodong on his temples, neck and the back of his head. The police also force-fed him with concentrated salt solution for 4 days in a row. The salt accumulated in Mr. Liu's kidneys, causing both of them to fail. Even under this situation, the police still kept beating him. His eyes were so swollen that he couldn't even open them.

Later Liu Xiaodong passed out during the beating. His eyes, face and the back of his head turned black and purple. Only then did the detention centre send him to the hospital for emergency rescue.

After learning about his suffering, Mr. Liu's family members went to the detention centre to argue with the police. However, they were detained by the police. When Mr. Liu's brother saw Liu Xiaodong covered with wounds, he videotaped the wounded body as evidence for future use. But the police found out, snatched his camcorder and tapes and illegally detained him. When his wife tried to stop the police from beating him, she was also arrested and detained.

People of the "610 Office" said that they would bear no responsibility should Liu Xiaodong die. His death would simply be considered a suicide. Liu's father requested that he be released on medical parole. Not only did the police not honour this request, they even sent Liu Xiaodong to Beian Prison. Mr. Liu's family again asked for his release, but the authorities simply turned a deaf ear to them. In January 2004, Liu Xiaodong could not move at all. Still the prison did not allow him any medical care. Later when they saw he was dying, they managed to have him sign a paper saying the prison would not be responsible for his possible death.

On January 8, 2004, Liu Xiaodong died in Beian Prison.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/8/2/80849.html