(Minghui.org) The persecution of Falun Dafa rages on in China today. Outside of arrests and prosecutions, many practitioners also face constant abuse, including torture, in detention.
Falun Dafa practitioner Mr. Cao Zhiyong, from Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, was arrested on his way home from Yi County on November 18, 2016 by police officers from the Shuangta District. He is still being detained. Mr. Cao is no stranger to persecution, the recent arrest being just the latest in a long string of arrests and detention.
Years of Persecution
Mr. Cao, formerly the deputy chief of the Chaoyang Fruit Trees Development Station, lost his job in 1999 when the Jiang Zemin regime first started persecuting Falun Dafa. He has been arrested six times overall.
He was first arrested at home by plainclothes police from the Domestic Security Division in Shuangta District and detained for 18 days in 2001. Ten days after his release, he was arrested again at work and detained for 17 days.
Mr. Cao was arrested on October 19, 2001, and taken to the Xidayingzi Forced Labor Camp. He was sent home when he failed the physical examination. But police went to his home again two days later and tried to break in. He managed to escape by jumping from the fourth floor.
Mr. Cao was arrested by the police several days later, on October 24. He was sentenced by the court to seven years in prison and taken to the Nanshan Prison in Jinzhou City.
Illustration: “hugging the block” torture
Mr. Cao was tortured at Nanshan Prison after he was caught reading Falun Dafa books. One of the torture methods was called “hugging the block.” In this torture, the victim is made to sit on the floor with his arms and legs around a wooden block. His hands are cuffed together and feet are shackled together. As time goes on, the person's limbs become numb, their muscles cramp up, they experience convulsions, and their back becomes unbearably painful. Victims can become disabled if the torture is prolonged.
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