(Minghui.org) A recent statement a police director made at a symposium generated a lot of public criticism.

While speaking on the implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Law on April 26, Zhao Chunguang, the head of the public security ministry's prison administration bureau, stated, “There has not been a single incident of extracting confessions by torture in a detention center in the past five years nationwide.”

Citizens commented: “It is shameless to say that.”

An article by CCP-controlled Xinhua.net reported on May 13 that three police officers were sentenced to jail for extracting confessions from Lu Jian, an owner of a private company, by torture.

The report said the police locked Lu in a chair and handcuffed his hands to a metal ring on the wall about 6 feet high.

Meng Zhaoyang, a professor from the Public Security University in China once said, “As early as 2010, scholars have pointed out that 'extorting confessions, bullying, extended detentions, and exaggerating minor crimes' are the four biggest drawbacks that the Chinese prison system faces.”

According to legal experts in China, using force to extract a confession is a common occurrence.

Injustice Throughout China

Falun Gong represents China’s largest group of prisoners of conscience. According to our previous reports, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to prisons or labor camps over the last five years with no proper legal procedure having been followed. Many practitioners were tortured by the police.

Between 1999 and 2013, at least 400 practitioners were tortured to death in detention centers, representing 11% of the total number of practitioners who died as a result of the persecution.

More than 100 torture methods have been documented in the persecution of Falun Gong, ranging from beatings with electric batons to stretching their limbs to using them as sources for live organ transplants.

Extorting Confessions in Dalian Detention Center

Mr. Kong Xianguo, a Falun Gong practitioner from Dalian, was interrogated in Dalian Detention Center in 2012. The police force-fed him with wine (practitioners don't drink alcohol) and inserted lit cigarettes into his nose. He had bruises all over as a result of being beaten. He was later sentenced to six years of imprisonment.

Torture reenactment: Tiger bench

Mr. Che Zhongshan, Mr. Zhang Guoli, and Ms. Hou Chunli are practitioners from Dalian City. They were also tortured in the Dalian Detention Center in 2012.

Mr. Che was tied on a tiger bench all night and badly beaten. His face and arms were bleeding. The police handcuffed him on the ground for more than two months before he was sentenced to prison.

Scar on Mr. Zhang's Ankles

After being tortured, Mr. Zhang's kidneys no longer functioned, and he could not eat. He originally weighed about 170 lbs; now he weighs less than 70. The unknown drugs the doctor injected into him caused Mr. Zhang heart pain. He became incontinent and had difficulty breathing. He also started drooling and often fell.

Police Inserted Sticks under Businessman's Fingernails

Mr. Yu Ming, a businessman in the Shenyang Clothing IndustryTorture Reenactment: Bamboo sticks under the fingernails

Mr. Yu Ming, a practitioner from Shenyang, was arrested on September 24, 2013. He was handcuffed inside a metal cage. The police inserted bamboo sticks under his fingernails. He was unable to eat or drink after being tortured.

Related report: Law Abiding Businessman and Philanthropist Arrested for the Fourth Time

Ms. Yang Shifeng Died after Being Injected with Unknown Drugs

Ms. Yang Shifen when she was young

Ms. Yang Shifeng from Fujian City,was arrested on February 23, 2014. She was detained at the Jiulong Detention Center.

After two weeks of interrogation and torture, she was sent to the hospital on March 6. She had symptoms of poisoning. After she was released, her entire body turned purple. She could not talk and kept foaming at the mouth. She died only two days after being released.

Related report: Fujian Province: Ms. Yang Shifen Dies Two Days after Being Released, Six More Practitioners Illegally Arrested