Police Extract Confessions by Torture from Educator Liu Zhenming

Name: Liu Zhenming
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Deputy Principal

Date of Most Recent Arrest: September 17th, 2009
Most recent place of detention: Dongguan Police Station
City: Taian
Province: Shandong
Persecution Suffered: Detention, home ransacked, extortion, physical constraint, torture, interrogation, sleep deprivation, food deprivation, beatings, brainwashing.

Mr. Liu Zhenming is former deputy principal of the First Shiyan School and recipient of the awards "Excellent Teacher in Taian City" and "Excellence in Teaching." He started to practise Falun Gong in March 1996 and gained great physical and mental benefits. He conducted himself according to the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance.

Over the past ten years, Mr. Liu has been sent to brainwashing centres twice, held in administrative detention once, detained for criminal charges twice and held in a forced labour camp once. In September 2009, police officers from the Taishan District Domestic Security Division arrested him.

Extracting Confessions by Torture

On September 17th, 2009, policemen from the Taishan District Domestic Security Division searched Mr. Liu's home. They confiscated his personal belongings such as Falun Gong leaflets exposing the persecution, DVDs, computers, printers, CD-recorders, a steam iron and a pair of pliers.

On the day that Mr. Liu was arrested, police officers from the Dongguan Police Station forced him to sit on a metal chair, to which they cuffed his arms and legs. They even forced him to wear a steel helmet that was too small. He felt like his temples were being pricked. The longer he wore it, the more painful and heavier it felt.

Police later put a paper bag over Mr. Liu's head and took him to a hotel. They rented three or four rooms, with one set aside for interrogation. The police officers cuffed his arms and legs to a chair and started interrogating him in turn. Sometimes they didn't give him any food. Sometimes they gave him food, but not enough. Other times they didn't let him sleep. As a result of the torture, his legs became swollen and painful. He could hardly walk.

On December 20th, 2009, the Taishan District Domestic Security Division charged Mr. Liu formally and was ready to sentence him. As a result, he was forced to leave home to avoid further persecution.

Held in a Forced Labour Camp and Harmed Financially

Before the latest round of persecution, Mr. Liu was detained in a forced labour camp. On the first day in the labour camp, policemen restrained his arms and legs with handcuffs and shackles on the four corners of a bed for eleven days straight. He was not able to turn over during that time. Then policemen forced him to sit on a small stool, and every morning he was beaten. Because of the torture, his blood pressure increased and he suffered from severe headaches. Police officers then sent him to a hospital for treatment. When Mr. Liu's condition did not improve, they sent him out on leave for medical treatment.

After Mr. Liu's home was ransacked on September 17th, 2009, police contacted his work unit about reimbursing expenses related to cigarettes and food for the policemen who worked extra hours. The police went there to eat every day. Those expenses were charged to Mr. Liu.

Mr. Liu's work unit replaced all of the locks in his office and his dormitory room, and confiscated all of his bank savings and cash. He was left penniless and had to borrow money from friends just to get food.

In 2000, as Mr. Liu was forced to attend brainwashing sessions, every participant had to pay 150 yuan¹ each day for 41 days. Afterwards Mr. Liu was not allowed to work and his salary was discontinued. He was again left without any financial means.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/2/2/217437.html