Zhang Hongwei’s Life at Risk; Prison Management Bureau of Jilin Province Refuses to Release Him

Mr. Zhang Hongwei is a Falun Dafa practitioner from Tonghua District, Jilin Province. In 2001, he was arrested in Beijing for making leaflets exposing the persecution and was sentenced to a long jail term of 13 years. He was sent to the Tiebei Prison in Changchun City late in 2001. Mr. Zhang Hongwei went on a 53-day hunger strike to protest the persecution that he was facing. In March 2002, Zhang Hongwei was sent to Jilin Prison for further persecution. He was tortured with solitary confinement, tied to the "Dead man’s bed¹," "Big Hang-up," and savagely beaten. His family members appealed against the brutal torture and therefore he was taken out of solitary confinement.

In the beginning of 2005, authorities accused Mr. Zhang Hongwei of beating other inmates and locked him in solitary confinement for an additional three months. Due to the long-term persecution he suffered in the Jilin Prison, his health was severely damaged.

In the beginning of 2006, Zhang Hongwei was coughing continuously throughout the day, every day. He was diagnosed as having tuberculosis with body fluid accumulating in his chest. In March, his illness became worse. He also suffered from pleurisy, high blood pressure and heart disease. He became very weak. Zhang Hongwei was then sent to the prison hospital at the beginning of 2006. Despite his failing health, the wicked people continued to persecute him. In March, the prison authorities applied for medical parole for him. However, the Prison Management Bureau of Jilin Province refused to approve the application even though he had met all the conditions for medical parole. The reason cited was that he must at least have a hole in his lung and be vomiting blood before he is to be approved for medical parole.

At present, his family members are very worried. Zhang Hongwei’s father-in-law Song Wenhua died from persecution in the Chaoyanggou Forced Labour Camp. The situation was exactly like Zhang Hongwei’s situation is now. The medical parole was not approved leading to the illness being treated too late. Song Wenhua died a few days after he was sent home.

Wang Dehui, Director of the Punishment Division of the Prison Management Bureau of Jilin Province: 86-431-2750563

Director of the Bureau: Yu Guangsheng

Operator of the Jilin Prison: 86-432-4881551. Extensions: the prison hospital, education division, and prison district.

The Prison Management Bureau: 86-431-2750563,86-431-2750062,86-431-2750593,86-431-2750574

Note

1. "Death Bed" torture: A practitioner is tied to a bed with his hands handcuffed above his head to the bed rails, and his legs tied with thin nylon ropes. The rope is then tightly wrapped around the practitioner's body and the bed, from his legs to his chest. The rope is wrapped so tightly that the practitioner has difficulty breathing and eventually loses consciousness.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2006/6/16/130599.html