(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Shen Zili was arrested on her way to visit a fellow practitioner on April 2, 2006. Participating in the arrest were two police officers from the Tiefeng District Police Department in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province. The police did not explain the reason and did not identify themselves. They also did not follow any procedure and simply seized Ms. Shen Zili on the street. She was sent to Tiefeng District Shuguang Police Station and interrogated and cruelly tortured.
Ms. Shen refused to answer any questions during the interrogation. The police inhumanly tortured her using the tiger bench, electric wires, bamboo board, and metal pipes. Police station chief Chu Chun, deputy chief Xu Zhonghe, and police officers Sheng Tao, Fan Kai and Wang Bin participated in the torture.
1. Tiger bench: Police immobilized Ms. Shen Zili's hands and feet onto the Tiger Bench, taking off her shoes, socks and jacket. They pulled her feet up from the bench while pulling her head down toward her body and tied them together. Ms. Shen endured unbearable pain.
2. "Dragged by five horses:" Seeing trhat Ms. Shen did not give in, the police started more brutal tortures. They handcuffed her behind her back and immobilized her feet separately, then affixed her hands and feet onto two metal pipes at her right and left sides. The police pulled her head toward her legs and tied them together. Then they put the pipes onto two high metal chairs and swung her. Soon Ms. Shen’s hands and feet started bleeding. She suffered severe pain and became unconscious. The police said, "This torture is good! She seems unable to bear it! Let’s continue!"
3. Whipping with a bamboo board. Officer Sheng Tao whipped Ms. Shen’s soles with a two-inch wide bamboo board until she fainted. She could not move her feet after the torture.
4. Clipping fingers with metal rods. Police put a metal rod between Ms. Shen's fingers and squeezed them together. It was so painful that Ms. Shen almost stopped breathing.
5. Stabbing Ms. Shen's ribs very hard. The police used their fingers to fiercely stab between her ribs.
6. Hammering on her thighs and hitting her head with fists. The police affixed Ms. Shen onto the tiger bench, stretched her hands behind her as far as they could, and then handcuffed them onto a wide metal chair behind. Her arms were nearly fractured from being severely stretched. The police also hit Ms. Shen's head with their fists and hammered on her thighs with a metal hammer until she lost consciousness. Ms. Shen has since lost the feeling in her legs, which are as stiff as wooden boards.
The tortures made Ms. Shen faint several times. The police woke her up by pouring icy water on her and burning her with cigarettes butts. Seeing her in critical condition, the police were afraid she would die. They sent her to a hospital for emergency treatment, to avoid taking responsibility.
Six days later, the police officials sent Ms. Shen Zili to Qiqihar City No. 1 Detention Center. The detention center officials refused to accept her, worrying that she might die there. The police then sent her to Gannan County Detention Center. Ten days later, a medical exam showed Ms. Shen had kidney disease and gall stones She was hospitalized for twelve days. On April 30, 2006, Ms. Shen was sent back to the Qiqihar No. 1 Detention Center. No matter where she was, Ms. Shen maintained a hunger strike to protest the persecution. After 38 days of imprisonment Ms. Shen was released, since the police were afraid they might be held responsible for her eventual death.
While persecuting and torturing Ms. Shen, the police also extorted money from her family members. Ms. Shen's family paid agents at the Tiefeng Police Department and at the Shuguang Police Station the sum of 23,000 yuan (about US$2,800).
Responsible parties:
Tiefeng District Police Department chief's office: 86-452-2126304
Tiefeng District Police Department deputy chief's office: 86-452-2124609, 2125039, 2126767
Tiefeng District Police Department Criminal Division: 86-452-2126456
Shuguang Police Station: 86-452-2511629
Director Chu Chun, deputy head Xu Zhonghe, police officers Sheng Tao, Fan Kai, Wang Bin
Qiqihar City Police Department deputy chief Zhang Weiping: 86-452-2468283 (Office), 2427766 (Home), 86-13514680002 (Cell)
Qiqihar City Political and Judicial Committee: 86-452-2791601
Qiqihar City deputy mayor Yin Xiangning: 86-452-2796320, 86-13904820938 (Cell)
Qiqihar City Government Office: 86-452-2790908
Qiqihar City CCP Committee Office: 86-452-2791310, 2791329, 2791425
