Practitioner Mr. Chen Binli Subjected to Brutal Torture in Panjin Prison, Liaoning Province

Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Chen Binli from Liaoning Province was detained in Panjin Prison for over two and a half years. Many times he was tortured on a tiger bench¹ and shocked with five electric batons at the same time. The torture he suffered was completely inhumane.

Mr. Chen Binli was arrested while he distributed leaflets exposing the persecution on October 28th, 2003. He was detained in the Fushun Detention Centre for nine months, and then detained at the Xinshouru Prison in Shenyang City for one month. On August 6th, 2004, he was sent to Panjin Prison. Chen Binli solemnly appealed his detention and treatment, but his appeals received no replies.

At around 7:00 p.m. on August 18th, 2004, Chen Binli was forcibly locked in the criminal interrogation room of the First Team. He witnessed a dangerous force-feeding. Liu Deqing, who was detained in the First Team, was handcuffed to a metal bench. Under the command of Zhang Wanfu, the team leader ordered five prisoners to hold Mr. Liu's head, pinch his nose and cover his mouth, then stuff rice cakes and soup into his mouth. There were no medical staff at the scene, nor did they use a special feeding apparatus. It's very easy to suffocate a person this way. However, police guard Zhang Wanfu laughed about it.

The "strict administration class" is in fact the "interrogation room." Metal chairs are placed in the room. The surface of the bench is made of four steel bars as thick as a person's thumb. There is a 10 cm. (4 in.) gap between the steel bars. When sitting on top of the bench with one layer of trousers, it is painful. Both feet are strapped down, without the ability to move them at all. Both hands are tied behind the practitioner's back and then the rope is wrapped around the person's chest. It is very cruel to be tied up this way for many days and nights. The First Team uses this tiger bench very often. The person forced to sit the longest time was named Mr. Dong Shiyou. He was continuously forced to sit on the bench, for over 50 days, from April 2006 to May, when he was transferred to Xiongyue Mental Hospital.

Chen Binli was forced to sit on the bench continuously for close to 70 hours, from August 18-21. He was only taken off after he started a hunger strike, and was then transferred to a patient prison. At the time, his hands were swollen and he lost control of his legs. He was also extremely exhausted mentally.

From the night of August 18th to the morning of August 19th, Zhang Guolin, the team leader of the First Team, led five police officers holding one electric baton each into Zhang's cell. Without a word five electric batons hit Chen Binli's body at the same time. His body and head could not stop shaking. His face and neck were also shocked. After the vicious torture, he felt like coming back from death.

At about 9:00 p.m., Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Song Zhendong, who is detained in the Sixth Middle Team, asked outside the door why they electrically shock people. Zhang Guolin then asked other guards to drag him inside and handcuff him on the metal bench. Zhang Guolin said with anger, "Who are you to care about this?" Then he continuously slapped Song Zhendong's face and shocked him with electronic batons.

After the police guards shocked both Chen Binli and Song Zhendong, they also handcuffed Song Zhendong and continued torturing him.

Sometime after 8:00 a.m. on August 20th, Administration Department Director Wu Fenggang came in with two police officers. They took four electric batons and took turns shocking Chen Binli and Song Zhendong. Wu Fenggang took two electric batons and clamped their necks and started shocking non-stop. He intensely shocked sensitive places like the finger tips, toe tips, ears and neck.

During this time there was someone outside the window shouting: "You're beating people again?" Wu Fenggang commanded some police officers to bring him in and handcuff him on the bench so he could be shocked. The person dragged in was a Falun Gong practitioner detained in the First Team in August. At this time, policeman Zhang Guolin came in. He immediately began to slap his face until his mouth was full of blood. Then Zhang Guolin continued shocking him with electric batons. Zhang Guolin said to him, "You don't have to go to the education class, just sit here." Then he said to Chen Binli, "You will all sit here for at least two weeks."

The three Falun Gong practitioners started hunger strikes to protest the persecution. That same afternoon, Dr. Yu and official Zhang from the medical centre of the First Team arrived, claiming they wanted to understand the thoughts of the three hunger strikers. At that time, Mr. Chen Binli stated clearly, "These hunger strikes are to protest the persecution. If the torture does not stop, we will continue the hunger strikes."

On the afternoon of August 21st, Mr. Chen Binli was released from the tiger bench and detained in the patient prisoner cell to be force-fed. At that time, Song Zhendong and the other practitioner were still handcuffed. After Chen Binli arrived at the patient prisoner cell, he was force-fed liquid food through a nose tube every day for a month. He got thinner every day.

In May 2005, Chen Binli was again subjected to this kind of torture. At the same time, policeman Zhang Guolin had been on duty for over two months. On May 3rd, Chen Binli refused to attend the "criminal transformation activities," and so was handcuffed on the tiger bench (at that time the surface of the bench was still metal). Wu Fenggang, three police officers and some guards took four electric batons to shock him. Wu Fenggang was also cursing loudly. At around 8:00 a.m. on May 4th, policeman Wu Fenggang arrived again. He shocked Mr. Chen Binli with two electric batons non-stop until they needed to be recharged. He then switched to another two electric batons and continued shocking Chen Binli for over an hour. Chen Binli's head, neck, and legs were covered with blisters. His neck was swollen and he could not even stand straight.

Responsible Personnel in Panjin Prison:
President of the prison, Song Wanzong: 86-427-5632100 (Office)
Director of the Department of Prison Politics: 86-427-5637369, 86-427-5637400 (Home), 86-13704273388 (Mobile), Fax: 86-427-5637351
Yu Xiaodong: 86-13704273388 (Mobile),
Zhang Tonglin, team leader of first prison zone: 86-427-2814022 (Office)
Second team: 86-427-5637945, 86-427-5637995
Third team (third prison zone): 86-427-2814164

Note

1. "Tiger Bench": Prisoners are forced to sit on a small iron bench that is approximately 20 cm (6 inches) tall with their knees tied together. With their hands tied behind their backs or sometimes placed on their knees, they are forced to sit straight up and look straight ahead without movement for long periods of time.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/2/10/148662.html