(Minghui.org) An internet company owner in Jingmen City, Hubei Province, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999. It was recently confirmed by Minghui that he was tortured in prison, including being beaten, handcuffed, deprived of sleep, and forced to do unpaid labor.
Mr. Meng Xianglong, a former employee of the local tax bureau, was previously given a five-year term in 1999 for his faith. He was fired from his job when he was released in 2004. To make a living, he started his own internet company, which soon became very successful. Following his latest arrest in 2015, he was forced to close the company, resulting in significant financial loss.
Latest Arrest and Sentencing
Mr. Meng was arrested on his way to work on March 19, 2015, and was detained at Huyaguan Detention Center. He appeared in court on November 3, 2015 and was later sentenced to 4.5 years in the Fanjiatai Prison, where he was incarcerated during his first term.
Beaten by Over Ten Inmates
On the day Mr. Meng arrived at the prison, he was held in an interrogation room and forced to memorize the prison rules, but he refused. More than 10 inmates surrounded him and hit him all over his body. With each punch, they asked if he would cooperate, but he refused. During the beatings, a tooth from the right side of his mouth flew out and he spit blood. All his other teeth became loose as well.
Torture illustration: Beatings
The inmates then dragged Mr. Meng to the yard behind the restroom, where the surveillance camera was blocked, and continued to beat him. Mr. Meng’s shirt and pants were soaked with blood. The inmates then took him back to the restroom and washed off the blood stains from his body before pushing him back into his cell.
Forced to Stand
Mr. Meng was made to stand for long hours every day for not renouncing Falun Gong. His legs swelled and he couldn’t wear his shoes. He felt weak and had no energy. Fifteen days later, as he remained firm in upholding Falun Gong, the inmates didn’t allow him to go to bed until after midnight but woke him up at 6 a.m. every day.
One day, he was very sleepy and went to bed earlier than the allowed time. The inmates started to beat him. One inmate strangled him with a towel and others hit him in the stomach. Mr. Meng shouted that he was being beaten, but the guard on duty didn’t come until fifteen minutes later.
The guards also tried to force Mr. Meng to add the word “criminal” before his name when doing roll call. Mr. Meng refused to comply. The guards eventually relented.
Forced Labor
Mr. Meng was forced to do hard labor in the kitchen, 18 days after arriving in the prison. The guards also deprived him of sleep for a week after he started working there, as a way to increase his suffering.
Seeing that the torture method had no effect on him, the guards handcuffed him in the yard with his arms wide open and the tips of his toes barely touching the ground. As it was raining that day, Mr. Meng’s clothes were soaked.
Torture illustrations: Handcuffed in midair
Life Shattered by Persecution
To avoid implicating his family, Mr. Meng divorced his wife while in prison. After his prison term expired on February 16, 2019, officers from the 610 Office took him to a hotel and brainwashed him for two days before allowing him to go home.
The torture in prison caused four of Mr. Meng’s teeth to fall out and the rest of his teeth to loosen. His company was also forced to close down and the financial loss is immeasurable. The authorities continued to monitor him after he was released. Every time he went through security at the local train station, the officers always took him to a separate room to search his bag because his ID had been flagged to indicate that he is a Falun Gong practitioner.
Related reports:
Hubei Man Sent to Prison Without Family's Knowledge
Imprisoned Once for 5 Years, Former Government Employee Jailed Again for His Faith
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