Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Xie Wutang, 69, was recently released from the Wuling Prison in Changde City, Hunan Province. While incarcerated, he developed several illnesses, including tuberculosis, a dislocated lumbar vertebra, high blood pressure, vertebral and cerebral arteriosclerosis, severe oedema, muscle spasms, and chest pains. He was so ill that he could not walk without the aid of a crutch and felt sick most of the time with a frequent urge to vomit.
In addition, Mr. Xie's lower teeth had been knocked out by officers from the Yongzhou City Police Department in 2000. Since that time, Mr. Xie has had great difficulty in chewing his food properly.
On the morning of July 13th, 2007, Mr. Xie's home was surrounded by police officers. The next day, Ward leader Fu Shengwen of the local National Security Division, Zhou Chan (female), Liu Qian (female), and over ten other officers stormed into Mr. Xie's home and arrested and handcuffed Mr. Xie and his wife Ms. Tan Xiangyu.
Mr. Xie's left handcuff was locked so tightly that it cut into his wrist, wetting his clothes with blood. Later that same day, Mr. Xie was taken to the Changsha City Detention Centre and tortured there for five months.
While Mr. Xie was in detention, the guards injected him with unknown drugs which seriously affected his memory and lowered his immune system. On two occasions Mr. Xie became critically ill and needed emergency medical treatment. Shortly after, he began to develop symptoms of tuberculosis.
The police did not allow Mr. Xie's son and daughter to visit their father nor did they provide the family with any details surrounding Mr. Xie's arrest. Instead, Mr. Xie's family members had to wait until the official court verdict was announced on December 6th, 2007 to find out what had happened to him. When his daughter went to the Changsha City Detention Centre to visit him, the people she spoke to said that they did not know where he was. This news made Mr. Xie's family both worried and upset.
When Mr. Xie was critically ill, officers from the local National Security Division visited him and accused him of pretending, and refused to release him on medical parole. But the guards at the detention center were very aware of the seriousness of Mr. Xie's physical condition. So after they received news that Mr. Xie had been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison, they took Mr. Xie to the Changdejin City Second Detention and Distribution Centre on December 7th, 2007 in an effort to avoid responsibility for Mr. Xie's impending death. The detention centre was very reluctant to accept him due to his poor health.
When Mr. Xie's family found out that he had been transferred, they went to the Changdejin City Second Detention and Distribution Centre to inquire. But when they got there, no one would give them a straight answer. Finally the family was given a telephone number of someone in the detention centre who might be able to help them.
Mr. Xie's family was finally able to visit with him at the Second Detention and Distribution Centre (located at the Changdejinshi Prison) on December 20th, 2007. When the family saw him, they were completely devastated. Five months of imprisonment and torture had taken a toll on Mr. Xie's overall state of health.
When Mr. Xie's family lodged an appeal with the Department of Criminal Execution on December 26th, 2008, requesting that Mr. Xie be released on medical parole, their request was rejected by a guard named Yi.
Mr. Xie's family expressed their concerns to Yi, saying,"Mr. Xie is old and in very poor health. What will we do if he is faced with a medical emergency?" Yi replied, "It is normal for our inmates to stay at the prison. Here there are over ten Falun Gong practitioners; one is 75 years old."
In February 2008, Mr. Xie was taken to the Wuling Prison in Changde City. The guards there were more concerned about his resisting their brainwashing efforts than they were about his physical and mental well being. The guards even prevented his family members from visiting him for three months. Finally Mr. Xie's family got permission to visit him. When they arrived at the prison, they were alarmed at how ill he was and immediately requested that he be released on medical parole.
Instructor Duan of the No. 3 Section of the No. 5 Ward at the prison assured Mr. Xie's family members that he would definitely be a candidate for medical parole after he wrote the "four statements" (to renounce Falun Gong). The guards continued to try to force Mr. Xie to give up his faith in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and to write the four statements. Mr. Xie's family became very concerned about Mr. Xie's well being when they realized that the prison guards placed no value on human life.
Mr. Xie's overall health had greatly deteriorated. Even though his family repeatedly requested that Mr. Xie be released on medical parole, the Changde Wuling Prison, the Hunan Province Prison Administration Bureau, and the Hunan Province Judiciary Bureau simply ignored their requests.
Changde City Wuling Prison:
Zhang Chengfa, secretary and the director: 86-736-7898188
Tang Guangming, deputy director: 86-736-7898046
Liu Jinxiu, deputy secretary: 86-736-7898277
Duan, instructor at the No. 3 Section of the No. 5 Ward (where Mr. Xie was being held): 86-15973632838 (Mobile)
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/3/7/196673.html
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