Some Details Surrounding the Death of Yang Xiaojie, Who Died from the Torture Suffered in Hebei Province Fourth Prison

Mr Yang Xiaojie from Shijiazhuang city, Hebei province had practised Falun Dafa for many years. Through the practice, he had benefited both physically and spiritually. Knowing that Falun Dafa is wonderful and does not harm any person or country, he decided to step forth to say a fair word for Falun Gong so that more people would know the truth about the persecution. However, he consequently was sentenced to eleven years in prison. In 2003, he was detained at Shijiazhuang Beijiao prison (also named Hebei Province Fourth Prison).

In prison, police used all means trying to force him to give up his belief, conscience, and basic principles as a human being. They forced him to write various statements to denounce Dafa, to watch videos attacking Dafa and to do intense labour. If he refused, he would be beaten, physically punished, or put into solitary confinement.

The solitary confinement cell is narrow and damp. Yang Xiaojie was handcuffed, chained, and locked up there for fifteen days. In order to prevent him from practising the exercises, they arranged for four inmates to watch him, two during the day and another two at night. They would immediately stop him or even beat him up if he attempted to practise. The most cruel among them was Fan Hongshan. He repeatedly insulted and beat up Yang Xiaojie. Yang once appealed to the prison in written form, yet it was ignored. In fact, the authorities had instigated the inmates, and even rewarded them by shortening their terms. Thus, some inmates became tools of the perpetrators.

The prison's department of education found out that Yang Xiaojie had written many letters exposing prison crimes. The letters were carried out of the prison and the crimes published on the Minghui website. As a result, prison officials confiscated all pens and paper from the practitioners and prohibited them from talking to others or meeting their families. They even incited other inmates to keep a distance from practitioners.

They did not allow Yang Xiaojie to join the activities downstairs, appeal, join any large-scale activities in prison, read books or newspapers, or even write. If needed, he had to get permission from the department of education to write a letter to his family with someone watching over him. The letter was only sent if its content met their criteria.

In June 2004, the prison organised inmates to watch videos attacking Dafa. Yang Xiaojie refused to watch. The 11th division, together with other offices and the prison's department of education, ordered inmates to drag him into solitary confinement for the second time. To protest such physical and mental torture, Yang Xiaojie and Ge Zhijun, another practitioner put into solitary confinement that day, went on a hunger strike. One day later, prison officials force-fed them with milk mixed with a high concentration of salt. After failing to insert stomach tubing several times, they changed to a thicker tubing. Several strong men force-fed them. Due to the harsh treatment, Yang Xiaojie had stomach bleeding and vomited blood.

Fearing that they would die from force-feeding, police started other softer methods to make them eat. However, they never recovered after that. They quickly became emaciated. The food was terrible, far below the standard. Due to long-term torture combined with severe malnutrition, Yang Xiaojie, who used to be a strong man weighing 100 to 200 Jin (1LB=0.9 Jin), became skin and bones. As of spring 2005, he weighed way less than 100 Jin and was extremely weak, yet the 11th division still required him to do manual labour. His family came to visit him many times but was turned away, preventing them from learning about his condition.

Later, prison chief Liu Ning was afraid to be held responsible and took Yang Xianjie to the prison hospital for a physical exam. However, the result was said to be just kidney malfunction, and a torn back muscle. In fact, Yang Xiaojie was already extremely weak and even had difficulty walking. Police had no other choice but to keep him in prison without doing manual labour. In the following several months, they did not give him medical treatment nor notify his family. Yang Xiaojie was unable to care for himself and had difficulty in getting out of bed. He was emaciated, ate very little, and lay in bed all day.

It was not until the end of December 2005 that Yang Xiaojie, then on the verge of death, was sent to the prison hospital. Three days later, he was sent to a hospital outside of the prison. However, they hid the results. Two days later they asked his family to take him home on bail for medical treatment.

Yang Xiaojie was hospitalised on December 22nd, 2005 and released on bail on December 28th. Usually the procedure for setting up bail for medical treatment takes far more than two days. The prison knew that he was in critical condition. Therefore they quickly pushed the burden on his family. Yang Xiaojie passed away before the Chinese New Year. Such a strong young man was tortured to death.

We call for justice to be brought to those who committed this crime and that compensation be paid to the deceased and his family.

Offices and personnel in prison who are involved in torture:

Department of education: Wang Guobin (director), Yue Yuhai (assistant director), now transferred to the internal management division (instructor) Zhao Jun, Li Like, Zhang Zhonglin

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/5/8/127166.html