Mr. Wang Jiang in Critical Condition after Torture, Family Visitations Frequently Denied

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Wang Jiang is a farmer in Heilongjiang Province. He was arrested in January, 2006 and then sentenced to ten years in prison by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Ongoing torture resulted in his developing serious illnesses such as bone tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Now he cannot take care of himself. Daqing Prison not only won't release Mr. Wang on medical parole, but they also have regularly prevented visitation by his family. The new head of Daqing Prison has further intensified the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Mr. Wang Jiang is a farmer from Hada Village in Pingfang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. He distributed leaflets exposing the persecution and told local people the facts about Falun Gong and was arrested by police from Yongyuang Town Police Station and from the Domestic Security Division in Acheng City on January 19th, 2006. Then the authorities sentenced Mr. Wang to ten years in prison without even allowing his family to know where he was imprisoned. The following is the history of his family's attempts at visitation and what they witnessed during the very limited visitation.

In January, 2007 his family rushed to Hulan Prison when they learned that Mr. Wang Jiang was imprisoned there. However, the prison guard told them that Mr. Wang Jiang had been transferred to Nahe area. Then his family went to Nahe and tried to find him. They spent three days to find the place where Mr. Wang Jiang was detained. After some inquiries, they discovered that Mr. Wang Jiang was detained at Daqing Prison. They went to Daqing City immediately. His family requested to see Mr. Wang just to make sure he was alright, but the prison authorities refused. His family could do nothing but go back home.

Mr. Wang Jiang's family again went to Daqing on March 15th, 2007. Their request for a visitation with Mr. Wang Jiang was again declined by the prison.

On June 12th, 2007 Mr. Wang Jiang's wife, elderly mother, and sister-in-law went to Daqing together to visit him. Under that circumstance, the prison allowed them to meet with him. During the meeting, Mr. Wang told his family that he was beaten by inmates who were assigned to monitor and torture the practitioners. The inmates forced him to wash the dishes and mop the floor, but Mr. Wang Jiang refused to do these things which were supposed to be done by prisoners. The male inmates who beat him were Fu Gang and Han Shouyin. The guard told the family that the two inmates had already apologized. Mr. Wang's family didn't pursue the matter any further since they didn't know how badly Mr. Wang Jiang was beaten.

On July 3rd, 2007 his family went to visit him, but the request was declined. Mr. Wang Jiang's situation was not known.

On July 8th, 2007 his family went to the prison again. They requested to meet him. After many difficulties, they met with him in the afternoon. Only after they saw him, did they realize that Mr. Wang had been badly beaten, and he had swellings under his ribs. Mr. Wang's family went to ask a prison guard about it. The prison guard lied to them, saying it was atheroma. Mr. Wang Jiang's family realized his serious condition and went to find Mr. Li Zongxiang, head of the Provincial Judicial Bureau's Appeals Office. Mr. Li called Daqing Prison and asked whether the prisoners beat Mr. Wang Jiang, but prison head Wang Jiaren denied it. Of course, Mr. Wang's family didn't buy it. Mr. Li Zongxiang told them to go to the prison again. The next day, with all the family members present, prison head Wang Jiaren admitted that the prisoners had beaten Mr. Wang; he also gave the names of the two prisoners who did it. At that time, the swelling of his body had already festered. The prison head promised to provide treatment for Wang Jiang and punished the prisoners involved after his family requested it.

On August 7th, 2007 Mr. Wang's family went to visit him for the sixth time, but their request was declined.

Mr. Wang's son went to visit in December 2007, but he was declined.

Mr. Wang's son went to visit him again on January 24th, 2008. The prison guard refused the request. However, a person who had been discharged from the prison told his son that Mr. Wang was very ill.

After more than six months, the prison guard called Mr. Wang Jiang's family and said that he was seriously ill and that he had been in the hospital for a long time because he had pulmonary tuberculosis.

Thus, his family went to Daqing Prison for the ninth time in October 2008. Mr. Wang had been severely tortured. He had difficulty walking, had blood in his urine and stool, festering at the waist, his arms were swollen and he could not lift them up. The symptoms became worse and worse, which told the family that the prison didn't truly give Mr. Wang any medical treatment.

Mr. Wang's family went to visit him for the tenth time on November 14th, 2008. At first, the prison refused the request. But later on, with further requests from the family, the prison let them meet at almost 4:00 pm. His swollen arm had became worse. He could not sleep at night because of the pain. Mr. Wang told his family that he also had bone tuberculosis.

Mr. Wang's wife and son went to Daqing Prison on May 11th, 2009. He was still in bad condition. He had severe bone tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Because of the insufficient sleep, Mr. Wang was in low spirits and looked to be in a very bad mood.

On July 15th, 2009 his family went to Daqing Prison once again. The prison told them Mr. Wang didn't wear the prison uniform and that he would not come to meet with them. So the family didn't get to meet with him at this time. The real reason was that there was a new prison head who severely persecuted Falun Gong practitioners. It was said that he hadn't provided food for the practitioners for a week. He didn't want the family to meet with Mr. Wang because he wanted to keep this information from getting out.

Right now, Mr. Wang Jiang qualifies for release on medical parole. However, the prison will not consider it. We are demanding that the Daqing Prison immediately and unconditionally release Wang Jiang.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/8/4/205874.html