(Minghui.org) The following is an investigative report on the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at Binhai Prison in Tianjin.

Guards Abuse Zhang Ziwen; Fellow Practitioner Protests

Mr. Zhang Ziwen, 62, was illegally arrested by Tianjin police in Lhasa, Tibet on October 10, 2010 and brought back to Tianjin. He was sent to Binhai Prison at the end of September, 2011.

Under the direction of deputy team lead Gao Peizhi, two criminal inmates, Hao Gang and Song Hui, wrote swear words slandering Falun Gong on Mr. Zhang’s clothes, underwear, pillow case and even slippers. Practitioner Lu Chunfu confronted the inmates to protest their behavior. He also questioned guard Gao Peizhi. At night, criminal inmate Wei Yanhong kicked his bed to keep him from sleeping.

Guards Torture Zhao Gang

Nankai District police took practitioner Mr. Zhao Gang, 29, into custody on May 21, 2008. He was detained at Nankai Detention Center.

Mr. Zhao was later illegally sentenced to six years in jail and sent to Gangbei Prison on April 13, 2010. Guard Liu Zaili assigned nine criminal inmates to torture him. They limited his daily sleep time to only four hours, from midnight to 4 a.m., and often woke him up during that time. He was forced to sit on a small stool for 20 hours a day, and to add to his agony, the criminals used cigarettes to burn holes from underneath the seat. Mr. Zhao was forced to sit and hold pieces of paper between his arms, torso and legs. Whenever a piece of paper fell, the inmates would hit, insult and spit on him. When Mr. Zhao tilted toward one side, the criminals scrubbed the sides of his chest violently with two shoe brushes. Criminals Zhang Dong, Chen Shengjie and Su Zhijian were ordered to beat up Mr. Zhao in a storage room. Prison guards often barred Mr. Zhao from eating, drinking and sleeping.

Mr. Liu Huijiang Severely Tortured

Torture Re-enactment: Handcuffed to floor

Mr. Liu Huijiang, 44, a retired battalion-level military officer, was arrested in Xiqing District, Tianjin on November 30, 2008. He received a jail sentence on August 31, 2010 and was sent to Binhai Prison. Inmates Zhang Dong and Liu Yongtao were immediately mobilized to assault Mr. Liu. Guard Gao Peizhi chained him with handcuffs and shackles before sending him to Prison Team 8 for “severe discipline.” Mr. Liu then was forced to sit on a 20-centimeter tall bench, while his hands and feet were chained to rings on the concrete floor. He had to remain stooped-over and eat off the floor and was only allowed to use a portable toilet. He remained in a seated position even when he slept, and the criminals woke him up at all hours. Zhang Dong constantly verbally abused and spit on him. The torture lasted for 8 days, and he collapsed immediately afterward.

Starting on November 28, 2010, Binhai Prison intensified its persecution of Liu Huijiang by mobilizing a dozen people to verbally assault him for two weeks. After that, Prison Zone 5 supervisor, Zhang Shilin, ordered deputy team leader Gao Peizhi to instigate a group of eight criminal inmates to step up the intensity of the torture. During Mr. Liu’s sleep time from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., he was forced to expose one hand outside of the blanket to prevent him from doing Falun Gong exercises. Criminals Zhou Wuliang and Jia Yuwen were assigned to watch Mr. Liu’s face and give him a hard time when he started to doze off. They inserted pubic hair into his mouth, put thread on his face, spelled out swear words to insult Dafa and pulled a blanket over his face. During his long day, Mr. Liu was forced to sit still on a small stool. Two criminal inmates watched him: Song Hui sat in front, and Zhang Meng sat behind him, constantly reminding him to sit up straight. When Mr. Liu needed to use the rest room, he had to yell at the top of his lungs to request permission. On the ninth day, his hips began to bleed and the festering skin stuck to his pants. So when he attempted to remove his pants, the hip skin tore apart and bled. He had to endure the sharp pain until his hips became numb. His underwear and pants were soaked with blood and pus every day. The prison officials refused to treat him for one month. They also reduced his sleep time and attempted to force him into saying slanderous things about the founder of Falun Gong; but Mr. Liu rejected their demands.

As a result, Mr. Liu’s physical and mental health seriously deteriorated. Even today, he is still haunted by nightmares, and his hips remain covered with scars.