Name: Zhang Xiuhua (张秀花)
Gender: Female
Age: In her 60s
Address: Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 26, 2007
Most Recent Place of Detention: Hebei Province Women’s Prison (河北省女子监狱)
City: Shijiazhuang
Province: Hebei
Persecution Suffered: Detention, illegal sentencing, imprisonment, brainwashing, verbal abuse, forced labor
(Clearwisdom.net) On June 26, 2007, a deputy chief of the Qiaodong Police Department in Zhangjiakou City, state security agents, officers from the crime response squad, the director of the Shenglilu Police Station, and five other officers broke into Ms. Zhang Xiuhua's home. They took her to the Shisanli Detention Center. Ms. Zhang was subsequently sentenced to six years in prison. She is being held at the Hebei Province Women's Prison.
In May 2011, a so-called “attacking the fortress team” was formed under the orders of Yang Yufen, deputy warden, and Ge Shuguang, head of the education section. The purpose was to conduct brainwashing of practitioners steadfast in their belief. During the brainwashing, Ms. Zhang Xiuhua was cursed and beaten.
Locked in a “Transformation Class”
On June 8, 2011, Ms. Zhang was taken to a “transformation class.” Zhang Shuhong, an instructor in the prison, threatened her by saying that she would be held there for as long as it took, until she agreed to be “transformed.” The instructor dragged Ms. Zhang to stand up as a form of physical abuse.
Cao Yaqing, a newly appointed deputy warden, Zhang Shuhong, and Li Hui, a prison guard, tried to coerce Ms. Zhang Xiuhua to give up her belief. Ms. Zhang refused to watch slanderous videos. Li Hui kept cursing her until after 10:00 p.m., when Ms. Zhang passed out because of high blood pressure. Li also ordered former practitioner Li Jinhua to kick Ms. Zhang heavily.
Gao Jianhua, from the Qian'an area, read slanderous brainwashing materials to Ms. Zhang. The reading session started at around 7:00 a.m. and lasted until after 9:00 p.m. every day. Ms. Zhang endured dizziness from such incessant harassment. Even her going to the restroom had to be approved by prison guards.
Fingerprinting the “Four Statements”
In order to reach the so-called “transformation rate,” the prison authorities falsified the statistics. They prepared printed copies of the “four statements” renouncing Falun Gong, then ordered inmates to drag Ms. Zhang to press her fingerprints on the statements. Ms. Zhang resisted and passed out after her fingerprints were placed on the first three statements. An inmate was told to fingerprint the fourth statement.
Later the prison officials worried about the four statements bearing two different people's fingerprints, and told another inmate to fingerprint all four statements to produce a false, yet consistent set of “transformation” records.
Earlier Abuse
When Ms. Zhang had just arrived at the Hebei Province Women's Prison, Wu Hongxia, a prison guard, scolded and cursed her loudly. Wu also instigated inmates to verbally abuse her. Ms. Zhang refused to give in. After two months of non-stop harassment, the systolic reading of her blood pressure went over 240, which resulted in her passing out.
Due to extended torture, Ms. Zhang suffered severe high blood pressure. For over a year, the systolic reading remained in the range of 240 to 280. Blood vessels were broken behind her eyeballs. Blood blogs filled half of her eyes. Li Hongzhen, the former head of the No. 6 Ward, once force-fed her drugs against her will.
Later, Ms. Zhang was taken to the prison workshop. Two inmates were assigned to take turns to monitor her. She was constantly yelled at. She was not allowed to order daily necessities, except for feminine care products. Later she was ordered to engage in slave labor for about half a year. The guards threatened that if she refused to give up her belief, no one in her cell would receive a single day of reduced prison terms.
