(Minghui.org) A 65-year-old man from Chengdu City, Sichuan Province took up Falun Gong while serving life in prison for embezzlement. While many other prisoners who were also sentenced to life have received sentence commutation and been released, Mr. Zhao Naiqian remains jailed and faces continued brutal torture for upholding his faith. The prison authorities told his family that if he refused to transform, there would be no way for him to be released alive.
Mr. Zhao, a former employee of the Xuguang Factory in Chengdu City, was sentenced to death with two years probation on May 30, 1996, for colluding with a colleague to steal parts worth 24,800 yuan from their workplace. The Sichuan High Court changed his sentence to life on December 12, 1997. His family returned all the money from the sale of the stolen parts, but he didn’t receive a lesser sentence. He developed strong resentment against the judges involved in his case and vowed to escape from the prison to kill them.
At that time, Mr. Zhao’s mother had already started to practice Falun Gong. During a visit, she brought him a Falun Gong book, hoping that he would benefit from its teachings.
After reading the book, Mr. Zhao became much more peaceful. His strong resentment and despair disappeared. He often told other inmates, “If I had encountered Falun Gong earlier, I wouldn’t have committed this crime. But I’m still very lucky to have taken up the practice, and I will follow its teachings to be a good person in the future.”
Over the next few years, Mr. Zhao contributed greatly to the prison and had the opportunity to receive a reduced sentence. However, before this could happen, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ordered a nationwide persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. Mr. Zhao became a top target, especially after he tried to explain to the other inmates how the CCP had fabricated propaganda to demonize Falun Gong.
Since then, Mr. Zhao has faced unimaginable torture and has been denied visits with his family for many years.
In 2017, Mr. Zhao’s mother applied to the Sichuan Province Prison Administration Bureau to visit him, but was denied. In their reply, the bureau stated, “If inmates’ families violate the regulations during visits, it will have a negative impact on the inmates; therefore, the prison denies the visitation request.”
As a result, Mr. Zhao’s mother was never allowed to see him again before she passed away. For other family members, i order to visit Mr. Zhao, they had to get approvals from several agencies and sign agreements not to talk about “sensitive content” during the meetings.
In 2018, Mr. Zhao applied to the Sichuan Province High Court to have his case reconsidered. He said that he only stole parts worth 24,800 yuan, which wasn’t severe enough to warrant a life sentence. In response, the Sichuan Province High Court increased the estimated value of the parts to 69,000 yuan in order to justify the sentence.
In contrast, the former colleague of Mr. Zhao, who was also sentenced to life, got his sentence commuted and was long released in 2012.
During an undated visit, Mr. Zhao told his family that he wouldn’t renounce Falun Gong in exchange for a reduced sentence. After spending 30 years in prison, he has become very strong. He told his family, “Don’t complain. Treat others with kindness and be considerate.”
When his sister visited him on December 12, 2025, a guard told her that Mr. Zhao was under strict management and that he wouldn’t be allowed any visits with his family in 2026.
Prison Torture
Because he refused to renounce Falun Gong, Mr. Zhao was transferred between six different prisons and subjected to various forms of physical torture and brainwashing. For seven years, his family didn’t know where he was held. It was not until 2012 that Mr. Zhao’s mother confirmed that he was detained at the Jiazhou Prison through the Sichuan Province Prison Administration Bureau. She went to the Jiazhou Prison twice but was denied visits with her son.
Because family visits were denied, Mr. Zhao’s family had no idea how he was doing in the prison. Through people who were released from the prisons, they were devastated to get a glimpse of the torture he was suffering.
Limited Access to Daily Necessities
Mr. Zhao was restricted from using the money that his family deposited into his commissary account. It was extremely difficult for him to buy daily necessities. In the winter, he had to wear a pair of slippers with no socks. He didn’t have a warm blanket for the cold nights, either.
Despite his own difficulties, he still tried to help others with the little money he had. Even after being sent to solitary confinement as a result, he said, “People should help each other. It’s the most basic thing to do as a human being.”
Physical Torture
The guards often forbade Mr. Zhao from talking to others. They also forced him to do hard labor for long hours, with only 20 seconds to finish one meal. He was often held in dark rooms or solitary confinement for months.
Other forms of physical torture he endured included beatings, mental torment, and involuntary injection of toxic drugs. He was also tied up in a spread-eagle position on a death bed for weeks. During that time, he could barely move; and he was given very little food and he only had a bowel movement every three weeks.
Related Reports:
Taking Up Falun Gong While Serving Life in Prison, Sichuan Man Tortured for Upholding His Faith
Sichuan Man Tortured, Denied Parole for Refusing to Renounce Falun Gong
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