Gao Lianyi

Mr. Gao Lianyi, who was a 34-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner from Tiexi District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, used to be a Taxi driver. He started practicing Falun Gong in 1997, has a very kind heart, and a very healthy body. He went to Beijing to appeal in October 1999. After being picked up he was detained in Shenyang City No.5 Detention Center, Shenyang City Tiexi District Mental Hospital, and the Forced Brainwashing Class held in Shenyang City Longshan Labor Camp, where he went through brutal mental and physical tortures. They also demanded money from, harassed, and closely monitored him. He had to become homeless in order to avoid being illegally taken from his home at the beginning of 2001. At the end of February 2002, he was taken by Changchun City Police Station and Tiexi District Qinggong Substation and locked in Tiexi Detention Center. He went on a hunger strike to protest and was transferred to Liaoning Provincial Prisons' General Hospital. During the time period when Mr. Gao Lianyi was on the hunger strike, the prison administration, made up of the Tiexi Detention Center, the Tiexi Police Station and the Tiexi District Party Political and Judiciary Committee, had decided that they would rather a prisoner die on a hunger strike than be released free. They chose not to do anything for him, resulting in his death. The hospital abetted this with the thinking that if patient's administrators do not care, they would not be responsible.

We heard Gao was tortured to death in September 2004.