(Minghui.org) Because of holding firm to his faith in Falun Gong that he credits for curing his severe heart condition, a man spent 14 years behind bars and was subjected to various forms of torture.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999.
Mr. Tao Yuan, in his 40s, returned home on April 29, 2018, after serving four years in prison. Prior to his latest term, he was repeatedly arrested and detained at detention centers, forced labor camp, and prisons for ten years.
His mother, Ms. Zhang Shengrong, has also been repeatedly targeted for her faith in Falun Gong. His father, in his 80s, struggled to care for himself while his wife and son were both detained. The elderly man passed away in June 2016 while Mr. Tao was still serving time.
Taking Up Falun Gong
Mr. Tao was pursuing a Master's degree in Ming dynasty history at Beijing Normal University when he contracted tuberculous pleurisy. He eventually dropped out of school in 1992. He landed a job in Kunming, Yunnan Province, only to develop tachycardia not long afterwards. He became ill-tempered due to his various diseases.
Shortly after he started to practice Falun Gong in May 1996, his diseases were gone. He stopped smoking and drinking and became more positive about life. “I found the true meaning of life,” he said.
He moved to Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1997, and worked as a manager at two companies. He was well liked by his supervisors and colleagues.
Tortured in the Prison
Mr. Tao moved to Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province shortly after he was released from a four-year term in 2011. He was arrested again on April 29, 2014 and later sentenced to another four-year term in prison.
Mr. Tao was taken to Zhejiang No. 4 Prison in February 2015. The prison put him in the Strictly-Managed Section of the 11th Division. Deputy Division Manager Feng Yun assigned four inmates to watch him, two during the day and two at night. They forced him to remain standing, sit on a small stool, and run for long periods of time.
Feng asked Mr. Tao to watch videos and books slandering Falun Gong and hand-copy the inmate rule book. Mr. Tao refused to do so, and Feng rationed his food: no meat or fresh vegetables, but only some pickled vegetables for each meal.
Mr. Tao developed edema in three months. He didn’t have much strength and his heart beat reached 200 to 220 per minute. He was sent to the hospital for treatment in September 2015.
When Mr. Tao returned to the prison at the end of October 2015, the prison authorities moved him to the ward for elderly practitioners. Zhao Kang, Political Instructor of the section, assigned four inmates to watch Mr. Tao. Zhao also forced him to watch videos slandering Dafa and tried to brainwash him many times.
Zhao added another inmate Ye Shanguo to torture Mr. Tao in September 2016. Ye needed the prison to pay for surgery to remove his brain tumor, so he spared no effort in abusing Mr. Tao. He and another inmate beat Mr. Tao frequently, knocked his head against the wall, and pinched him with a plastic clip repeatedly.
Related reports:Mr. Tao Yuan about to Complete a Four-year Unjust Prison Term; Mother Still Detained at Brainwashing Center
Mr. Tao Yuan Arrested Again after a Total of 10 Years Incarceration
Mr. Tao Yuan Illegally Detained, His Attorney Beaten and Injured, His Mother Monitored and Harassed
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