Tortured by Guards in Panjin Prison, Mr. Zhang Qi in Critical Condition

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Qi has been tortured continuously by guards in the Fifth Ward, including Wang Haijun, ever since he was sent to Panjin Prison in June 2008. The severity of the abuse resulted in his being in critical condition many times. Since April 2011, he has been on a hunger strike to protest the persecution. Now, he is in critical condition again.

Mr. Zhang was arrested by officers from Jinzhou Police Department in February 2008. A day later, he was transferred by police from Chaoyang City Domestic Security Division to Chaoyang County Detention Centre. Twelve days later, Mr. Zhang was transferred to Zaohua Prison in Shenyang. Two months later, he was transferred to Chaoyang City Detention Centre. Several days after being transferred, he was sentenced.

Since Mr. Zhang was transferred to Panjin Prison, he has been forced to do heavy labour. Prison Ward head Wang Haijun instigated team leader Wu and inmates to beat and shock him with electric batons. As a form of torture, they hung Mr. Zhang for a long time, and kept him there, even after his body became swollen from the hanging. When Mr. Zhang's family went to visit him, they observed that his head was severely swollen.

The long-term torture made Mr. Zhang extremely weak. He was sent to Shenyang Prison General Hospital on September 20th, 2010, and sent back to Panjin Prison on May 1st, 2011.

Mr. Zhang's family received a call from Panjin Prison in mid-June, urging them to visit him in prison. When the family went there, the perpetrators did not allow his family to see him right away. Extremely weak, Mr. Zhang did not come down to the visitation room until 11:00 a.m. He wore handcuffs and shackles and was assisted in by two guards. Shocked by his condition, his family asked the guards to remove the handcuffs and shackles. Qin Fei, a section head said, “No, we cannot. We don't care if he dies, but we won't be held responsible for his death.”

The family requested to meet with the head of the prison Song Wanzhong. Song refused to meet with them and sent Prison Politics Section chief Wang Haijun to stop the family and keep them outside. The family requested Wang to remove Mr. Zhang's handcuffs and shackles. Wang refused. Wang also said viciously, “If he dies, we will not take the blame.”

Presently, Mr. Zhang is still on a hunger strike to protest the persecution.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2011/10/11/247754.html