(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhang Xiuxiang of Jiutai District, Changchun City, was illegally arrested on April 7, 2015, for practicing Falun Gong. The Jiutai District Court sentenced her to three-and-a-half years in Jilin Province Women’s Prison, where she was brutally tortured. Ms. Zhang was released on October 7, 2018.
Ms. Zhang has given the following account of her imprisonment:
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When I arrived at the prison, the prison authorities ordered other prisoners to strip me naked. They forced me to hold a criminal number plate and took photos of me undressed. I was then not allowed to wear undergarments beneath my coat and trousers.
I was required to sit up straight on a plastic stepstool without moving or talking. Prisoners appointed by guards roared at me and verbally abused me. —December 7, 2016
I was forced to sit for many days while I was pressured incessantly to give up practicing Falun Gong. The prisoners took turns forcing me to listen to and watch brainwashing videos. It was severe mental and physical abuse.
In 2018, a new prison warden surnamed An arrived. He was even crueler than the previous warden. He tortured Falun Gong practitioners who refused to give up their belief by forcing them to sit and balance on a small stool for long periods of time. They were required to sit up straight without speaking or moving. They were abused and beaten by prisoners for any transgressions. Practitioners' meals were meager—just a small amount of rice and pickled vegetables. —April 20, 2018
I was forced to sit on a small stool from early morning until night. Another prisoner brought me a meal of rice and pickles. I was given only enough water to rinse my mouth after each meal. —July 13, 2018
I was not permitted to keep up my hygiene—I could not brush my teeth, wash my face, bathe, shampoo my hair, or wash my clothes.
In the heat of summer, I was forced to sit on the stool while soaked in sweat. I wore the same clothes for one month. The strong odor permeated the prison cell, which incited the criminal prisoners to abuse me and others.
We were forced to sit motionless for over 16 hours each day in temperatures over 95 degrees Fahrenheit. We were allowed to use the toilet only three times during the sitting period. Day by day, the prolonged sitting caused my buttocks to blister and fester. I dared not sit due to the excruciating pain.
I was allowed to stand up and shower only once a month. I was forced to sit for months until I was released on October 7, 2018.
There were other Falun Gong practitioners who suffered even more brutal torture. Some were made to sit for the entire day, from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Falun Gong practitioners are good people who conduct themselves according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Government employees treat us cruelly, yet they do not use such torture methods on convicts. They have lost their humanity and conscience; ultimately, they will only bring harm to themselves.
