(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zhang Yanhua refused to renounce her faith. The Qiqihar City resident served a seven year sentence in Heilongjiang Women's Prison several years ago. She was arrested again on March 21, 2017 and released on July 4.
Ms. Zhang recounts the ordeal she suffered at the hands of police, guards, inmates, and doctors.
Tortured in Iron Chair
I was getting ready to go to work on March 21, 2017, when a group of policemen from the Zhonghuajie Police Station broke into my home. They ransacked my home and confiscated my cell phone, Falun Gong books, as well as 38,000 yuan in cash. They took me and my daughter to the police station.
At the station I was tortured in an iron chair. My hands were pulled through two circles on the back of the chair and cuffed together. My legs were tied to the legs of the chair.
Two policemen entered the torture room at 5 p.m. They rolled up magazines, struck me in the face and upper body, kicked me in the legs with their leather shoes, pulled my arms, and twisted my wrists. I was in excruciating pain. They tortured me for five hours and released me from the chair at midnight.
My heart was beating irregularly the next day and I was extremely weak. They threatened to sentence my daughter to prison. In order to save her, I took responsibility for everything they claimed. I was then transferred to the Qiqihar Detention Center.
Revenge for Refusing to Perform Labor
As I was innocent of any crime, I refused to perform any kind of labor. Thus, the guard surnamed Han ordered the inmates to beat me. I told her that she was knowingly violating the law and abusing her power. She looked at me and said: “So I did. What can you do about it?” I was beaten by three inmates again.
It was early spring in northern China, and it was still cold. Han threatened that unless I performed labor, she would “teach me a lesson.”
The next day, two inmates came to give me a “bath,” although I had just taken one. They dragged me out of my bed, pulled my clothes off, pushed me into a bathroom and knocked me to the ground. Then, they poured large barrels of ice cold water over me.
They demanded that I work, but I still refused. They struck my face and chest. Then they again poured cold water over me. I told them to stop and that it was not good for them to act that way. They replied: “We do not care, we do not believe in karmic retribution.”
Force-fed With High Concentration Saline
I went on a hunger strike from the day I was arrested. After three days I had lost a lot of weight. I was then moved to a different area, where I was force-fed. They shackled my four limbs together behind my back, which was very painful. They did not release my hands and feet even when I was force-fed. I could not lay down or take care of myself.
Prison doctor Cheng Yao ordered inmate Li Han to put a large amount of salt in the food. After the force-feeding, I had a terrible headache, nausea, and felt extremely thirsty. I asked them why they put in so much salt. The prison doctor claimed that I needed it. They force-fed me seven times.
When they finally removed the shackles, my hands, legs, and arms were numb, and my hands were badly swollen.
When I returned to my cell, my heart began beating irregularly, and I stopped breathing on and off. The inmates took turns monitoring me, as I was in critical condition. An inmate eventually called the prison doctor and said that I had stopped breathing and they could not feel my pulse.
I was taken to a hospital outside the prison system on July 4th for emergency rescue. I was released three days later.
Summary of Seven Years of Imprisonment
Ms. Zhang was imprisoned from October 22, 2001 to November 3, 2008, during which time she was tortured. The guards there exposed her to the elements, hung her up by her handcuffs, tied her with a restraining belt, viciously beat her, and deprived her of sleep and bathroom visits. She was also subjected to brainwashing during her incarceration.
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