(Minghui.org) A factory worker in Chengdu was sentenced to life in June 1995 for embezzlement. His coworker and co-defendant in the case was granted parole and released five years ago. He, however, remains incarcerated because he refused to renounce Falun Gong, a mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Mr. Zhao Naiqian began practicing Falun Gong in prison.
Mr. Zhao found his sentence unfair in the beginning: a murderer tried on the same day was only given 12 years, while he received life in prison for stealing 20,000 yuan worth of factory equipment.
His mindset changed when he came across Falun Gong in 1997. He regretted that he hadn't started practicing it earlier; otherwise, he wouldn’t have committed the crime. He vowed to change for the better, and the guards at Jiazhou Prison praised him for becoming a model inmate.
However, the guards’ attitude shifted when the Chinese communist regime launched a nationwide campaign against Falun Gong in 1999. They began to try to force Mr. Zhao to give up his belief. He firmly refused and has since been tortured and abused on a regular basis. He was also denied opportunities for parole.
Mr. Zhao's sister most recently visited him on December 27, 2017, and noted injuries on his hands. He complained that his neck and back hurt so much that he felt like a disabled man.
He also told his sister that he wasn’t allowed to talk to other people. In the past, he was tortured by being forced to sit for extended periods of time, but now he was made to stand for long periods of time. The guards also refused to give him a warm blanket in winter, and he was extremely cold at night.
A section chief named Wang Zhengqiang told Mr. Zhao’s sister that they planned to increase the persecution against him for refusing to do hard labor. Wang threatened to keep him imprisoned for life if he continued to hold firm to his faith.
Mr. Zhao’s lawyer visited him the next day and wasn’t allowed to mention Falun Gong during the meeting. Four guards stood by and videotaped the entire exchange. Wang mocked the lawyer for being too young to have enough experience to get Mr. Zhao’s parole request approved.