Xiao Zhanghe - 肖章和
(Minghui.org) Xiao Zhanghe Poisoned While in Police Custody and Died Afterwards
Sixty-year-old Xiao Zhanghe started to practice Falun Gong in 1998. Although closely monitored by the authorities, Mr. Xiao was never afraid of speaking out about Falun Gong. On Oct. 21, 2013, a large group of police broke into Mr. Xiao's home and took him to the Tianma Township Brainwashing Center. There Mr. Xiao refused to write a statement giving up his belief.
The next day, the police took Mr. Xiao to the Comprehensive Management Office of the township government. According to his own account, the police brought him lunch. In the afternoon, a female staff came and prepared tea for him. She urged him to have more tea as they talked.
At 5pm, Mr. Xiao suddenly could not speak and could not focus his mind. In his debilitated state, the police asked him to write statements giving up the practice of Falun Gong, which he mindlessly followed. On the third day, the police continued to give him tea and Mr. Xiao experienced the same symptoms. In such a condition, he signed more statements according to police orders.
After signing everything the police wanted, Mr. Xiao was allowed to return home. When he recovered, he returned to the government offices and declared that his previous statements were invalid. He also questioned what kind of drug the police fed him; police denied giving him any drugs.
A week later, Mr. Xiao had a sore throat and hoarseness. Large red patches appeared all over his body. The city hospital could not diagnose his condition so his family took him to Huaxi Hospital, which is the most advanced hospital in Sichuan Province.
At first, the hospital diagnosed Mr. Xiao as being poisoned. Later, however, the diagnosis changed when the family told the hospital that Mr. Xiao was a Falun Gong practitioner. In an odd turnaround, the diagnosis was changed to “gallstones.”
The hospital claimed that the treatment required surgery and it was hard to cure. They also stated that Mr. Xiao would probably die during or after the surgery.
The large red patches on Mr. Xiao's body spread, and he passed away on May 22, 2014.
