(Minghui.org) Officials in the Liaoning Bureau of Prisons declared that “no medical parole is allowed for Falun Gong practitioners,” even though the Xihu Prison had agreed to Mr. Liu Defu's medical parole due to his poor health condition as a result of torture and forced labor.

Mr. Liu, 63, was recently diagnosed with heart attack, subdural hematoma, and high blood pressure at the Benxi Iron and Steel Hospital in Liaoning Province.

He was sentenced to three years in prison by the Dadong District Court in Shenyang City on April 8, 2013 and has been detained at the Xihu Prison in Benxi City since June 7, 2013.

Torture in Prison

Prison guards at the Xihu Prison imposed a series of torture, forced labor, and brainwashing on Mr. Liu because he refused to give up his belief in Falun Gong. Guards ordered inmates to beat Mr. Liu brutally, put him in solitary confinement, and handcuffed and chained him to the floor.

They also hit him in the head with heavy objects, causing severe cuts and bleeding. He got 21 stitches as a result.

Mr. Liu still refused to renounce Falun Gong, and guards transferred him to Ward 7, where he was forced to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mr. Liu’s blood pressure rose to 250. He had difficulty walking and eating.

Torture illustration: Handcuffed and chained

Although his family had requested many times for Mr. Liu’s medical parole, prison officials refused, laying out the condition that he give up Falun Gong first.

Mr. Liu’s condition deteriorated as time went on. He had chest pain, severe headaches, as well as dizziness. He was recently diagnosed with heart attack, subdural hematoma, and high blood pressure at the Benxi Iron and Steel Hospital.

Given Mr. Liu’s life-threatening condition, prison officials verbally agreed to a medical parole. His family then went to the Liaoning Bureau of Prisons to complete paperwork to complete the process. They were turned down by officials there and were told that no medical parole would be allowed for Falun Gong practitioners.

Arrest and Sentencing

Mr. Liu was arrested on December 9, 2012, when he told people facts about Falun Gong on the street. Police took him to the Dabei Police Station and then sent him to the Dadong District Detention Center.

Mr. Liu was tried at Dadong District Court on March 29, 2013. Mr. Liu’s attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf.

The trial lasted two hours and adjourned without a verdict. The Dadong District Court announced several days later on April 8 that Mr. Liu was sentenced to three years in prison. He appealed to the Shenyang Intermediate Court, but the sentence was upheld.

Mistreatment at the Dadong District Detention Center led to high blood pressure (about 200), heart disease, and brain blood vessel blockage. Mr. Liu was sent to Shenyang No. 242 Hospital on April 22, 2013, for treatment and brought back to the detention center on May 3.

Four days later, Mr. Liu was sent to prison despite his condition. He was first kept at the Liaoning Prison and then transferred to the Xihu Prison in Benxi City on June 7.

Mr. Liu lives in Shenyang City and was a business owner. After beginning to practice Falun Gong in 1999, his illnesses disappeared. Following the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, he became more willing to help others and was well-liked in the community.

Parties Involved in Mr. Liu's Case:

Chen Taibao (陈泰宝): chief of the Liaoning Bureau of Prisons, +86-024-86601366 Zhou Chunshan (周春山): head of the Political Department at the Liaoning Bureau of Prisons