Name: Zhang Lei (张磊)
Gender: Female
Age: 52
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Nurse (retired)
Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 31, 2008
Most Recent Place of Detention: Yunnan Second Women's Prison (云南省第二女子监狱)
City: Kunming City
Province: Yunnan
Persecution Suffered: Illegal sentencing, beatings, verbal abuse, handcuffing, suspended by handcuffs, solitary confinement, forced sitting on a small stool for long periods of time, forced injection of unknown drugs, limited use of bathroom, seizure of private letters.

(Minghui.org) Ms. Zhang Lei, 52, formerly a nurse at the Xinjiang Construction Corps, moved back to her hometown in Anhui Province after retiring. On May 31, 2008, while visiting her son in Lijiang County, Yunnan Province, Ms. Zhang was arrested by plainclothes police and illegally sentenced to five years in prison.

At the Yunnan Second Women's Prison, Ms. Zhang stayed steadfast in her belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Instigated by the prison guards, Ms. Zhang was brutally beaten by the prisoners eight times and subjected to torture methods including “hanging up in the air” three times, solitary confinement three times, sitting on a small stool for long periods of time, and was injected against her will with unknown drugs. Ms. Zhang has suffered mentally and physically.

 
Torture re-enactment: Forced injection of unknown drugs

Ms. Zhang remained steadfast in her belief. She has never ceased clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to the relevant departments, and has exposed the violations of Falun Gong practitioners' legal rights in prison. In the end, Ms. Zhang was granted a “medical parole” and sent back to her hometown in Anhui Province.

Below is Ms. Zhang's account of the persecution she suffered in Yunnan Second Women's Prison.

My name is Zhang Lei, and I am 52 years old. In 2008, I traveled from Anhui Province to Lijiang County, Yunnan Province to visit my son who had just graduated and started working at the Lijia Lijiang County Radio Station. At around 7:00 p.m. on May 31, while my son and I were clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to people on the street, we were arrested by plainclothes police officers. I was illegally sentenced to a five-year prison term and detained at the Nineth Ward of the Yunnan Second Women's Prison. My son was sentenced to two years and detained at the Yunnan First Prison.

While in prison, I remained steadfast in my belief of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and refused to cooperate with any demands to “transform.” I was subjected to torture methods including solitary confinement and forced sitting on a small stool, and was forcibly injected with unknown drugs. Instigated by the prison guards, prisoners brutally beat me eight times, and I was “hung up in the air” three times.

I give the details of what I suffered with the hope that it will awaken the police officers who are still persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Please stop your evil actions. If not, you will be in a dangerous situation because you took part in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners who are on their paths to consummation. Once the gods eliminate the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the world's people, who have been deceived and used by the CCP, will be the real victims of the persecution, as they will be eliminated with the CCP.

The First Time I Was Beaten and “Hung up in the Air”

On December 16, 2008, I was transported from the Lijiang Detention Center to the Yunnan Second Women's Prison. We set out at 5:00 a.m. and arrived at around 5:00 p.m. Due to motion sickness, I was dizzy and nauseous. I felt so bad that I couldn't even stand still. A male prison guard took me to the hospital. My heart rate and blood pressure were all within normal ranges. He later took me to the workshop of the Nineth Ward and told me to stand there. After standing for a while, I felt dizzy, nauseous, and very sick. I crouched down when I couldn't stand any longer. It seemed that the workshop was closed at the time, and only a guard named Xie Ling and a few prisoners including Mu Xinmei were there. Xie yelled at me to stand still. I told her that I was car sick and felt really bad, and that I could not stand. Xie said, “I don't care. Don't move.” She made me stand in the position that she showed me. I tried to do what I was told, but I was too sick to do so. Xie saw that I didn't do what she had ordered, so she told prisoner Mu Xinmei to watch me. Since I couldn't stand still, I moved involuntarily. Mu reported to Xie. Xie rushed over while cursing me loudly and said, “Don't you know what this is? This is a prison! If you're ordered not to move, you don't move.” I said calmly, “Can you order someone not to die?” Xie gave a stare and couldn't respond. I said, “This is human nature. It is a matter of whether or not the body can endure it.”

At around 7:00 p.m. that night, I was told to go to the office. There were two guards there. One was the commander, Yang Huan, and the other was Xie Ling. Yang said, “Now that you're in prison, are you still going to practice Falun Gong?” I said, “To practice Falun Gong is to follow the universal principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, be a good person, and become a better person. Is there anything wrong with that? It assumes a great constructive role in promoting social stability and unity, as well as improving human moral standards.” Hearing this, Yang yelled, “Shut up! You're still talking nonsense even though you're now in prison.” I said, “The one that's in power is not always the one that holds the truth, right? Whoever doesn't let people to be good and persecutes those who try to be good is really the bad person.”

At that moment, I really needed to spit. I said quickly, “Sir! I need to spit.” I felt the phlegm coming up as I was speaking. I saw there was a wastebasket by the desk half full of trash and paper. I rushed over and spat into the waste basket. As soon as I spat it out, I heard Yang shouting, “Who told you to spit it out?” I said, “I already told you that I had to spit. I couldn't hold it any longer. If I didn't spit into the wastebasket, I would have spit on the floor.” Yang said, “It's unacceptable nonetheless! Don't you know where you are? This is a prison. You don't spit if you're told not to! Hurry up and take your spit out of the basket.” Yang yelled. I said, “I will take the trash out.” Yang said, “No! You have to use your hand and take the spit out.” I refused to do it. Yang and Xie called for a few prisoners to come and help them to get me to grab the phlegm with my hand. I wouldn't do it no matter what. Again, Yang ordered more prisoners to come. They pushed and held me to the ground. During this turmoil, the trash basket got knocked over and trash flew everywhere. A guard came into the office and saw what was going on and said to Yang, “Why not just let her dump the trash!” Yang thought about it for a while, then said, “Take the trash out!”

The next day, December 17, at around 9:00 a.m., Xie Ling came to my room and asked me, “Are you still going to practice? Are you still going to study Falun Gong?” I said, “Of course!” Xie asked me again, “Are you still going to say Falun Gong is good?” I said, “Falun Going is good! It's only because you haven't realized how great it is. I too have gone through a very difficult process before I gradually came to a deeper understanding of the Fa.” As I was speaking, Yang Huan handed me a badge for prisoners and a prison handbook. I thought to myself, “I'm not a criminal,” so I refused to take the badge and the handbook. Xie then shouted toward the door, “Guard! Get some people here!” Soon there were more than ten prisoners and five guards standing at the door. Xie asked me again, “Do you still think Falun Gong is good? Still want to practice?” I said, “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the universal truth. I will practice until the end and will never waver.” As I was speaking, I saw Xie Ling take a pair of handcuffs from a female guard. He said to me, “In prison, we don't have a whole lot of anything expect people. Go!” More than ten prisoners rushed over, pushed me down, and tried to put the handcuffs on me. I resisted and fought back. Perhaps most of those prisoners didn't like helping the guards, and they only pretended to help due to the pressure. Only a few of them were really trying. The first time around they didn't put the handcuffs on me. Xie Ling was very upset. She rushed over and said, “You guys are all useless. I'll do it.” She came over and bent my arm violently against her leg. My arm was in intense pain. Right after that, I started having symptoms of palpitations, dizziness, and seeing dark spots. I felt very weak and fell down. Xie Ling ordered a few prisoners to drag me to the bunk bed and handcuffed me to the bed, half hanging. After a while, Xie Ling saw that my color didn't look right. She said to a prisoner, “Hurry up and get the doctor!” The prison doctor came. My blood pressure could not be measured since my hands were handcuffed behind my back. The doctor checked my heart rate then said quietly, “160 per minute.” Xie Ling then took the key and tried to unlock my handcuffs, but she couldn't unlock them no matter what she did. I felt her hands shaking. Maybe she was afraid that I was going to die? Another female guard unlocked the handcuffs. As I lay on the ground, the doctor measured my blood pressure, walked toward the door, and said quietly, “179/140mmHG.”

Torture re-enactment: Hanging up in the air

It was cold during the winter, and it was even colder that day. I lay on the ground and couldn't get myself up. After a while, I started to have symptoms of angina pectoris. The pain was so severe that I couldn't breathe. I told the “baojia” (inmates assigned to monitor and torture practitioners. Usually two “baojias” are assigned to each practitioner) named Han Yude that my chest was hurting very badly. Han went to get Xie Ling, and soon they brought a doctor. The doctor took an ECG and put me on the bed. After about an hour, Xie came back and said, “Aren't you comfortable lying there?” She told the “baojia” to drag me off of the bed. I told her I was still feeling sick, but Xie didn't care. She gathered a few prisoners and dragged me from the bed to the ground, head first. Just like that, I lay on the ground for about three hours. When I felt a little bit better and was able to move, I got off the cold ground.

Second Time I Was Beaten and “Hung up in the Air”

At around 9:00 a.m. on January 12, 2009, as soon as Xie Ling walked in, she smiled and asked, “Zhang Lei, are you feeling better?” I saw that she was being polite and smiling so I answered her politely, “Much better.” She didn't say anything else and left. After a little while, Xie brought three doctors in and tried to measure my blood pressure. As I was about to sit down, Xie Ling said, “Have you thought about it during the last few days? Do you still think Falun Dafa is good? Are you still going to continue practicing?” I said, “There wouldn't be any changes regarding this. Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good! I will practice without wavering!” Xie Ling said with a sneer, “Let's get your blood pressure first.” Right away I realized that another round of persecution was about to come and this was just preparation work. I said I didn't want to get my blood pressure measured again since I was measured just a few days ago. She said, “No! We have to measure again today.” I said, “To see a doctor or not, or whether or not I need to see a doctor, is something only I would know. Besides, this is a right that everyone in this world is entitled to. Being in prison is no exception.” Xie Ling said, “Then I will have to violate your rights. What are you going to do about it?” As she was speaking, she went out and got more than ten prisoners, including Mu Xinmei, Li Wenqin, Tao Zhuang, Zhang Zhenhua, Yang Yingxia, Yu Yulan, Lei Sufen, two doctors, plus Ma Yunmei, Han Deyu, and three prisoners that worked at the dining hall, who were just there to use the bathroom. Xie Ling said, “I'll repeat myself. There's not a whole lot of anything else in prison except people. Are you going to get your blood pressure measured?” I said, “No.” Xie Ling then ordered the prisoners to rush over to me. They dragged, pulled, pushed, and knocked me down. After a round of beating, they put handcuffs on me and hung me up on a bunk bed with my arms tied up behind my back. Xie Ling then left.

After a while, Xie Ling brought back two other people with a video camera. Xie Ling took off my handcuffs and pointed the video camera at me and asked, “Are you still going to practice Falun Gong?” I said, “Yes!” Xie Ling asked again, “Are you still saying Falun Dafa is good?” I said, “Falun Dafa is good! It's illegal to persecute Falun Gong! Good is rewarded with good and evil meets evil. No one can force people to change their hearts.”

After they were done videotaping, I was put into a compartment. Xie Ling demanded that I change into a mustard-colored uniform for the compartment. I said, “I did not commit any crime. I will not change.” Xie Ling ordered prisoners to take off my pants and my sweater. On that day (January 12), it was raining and snowing in Kunming. Xie Ling asked “baojia” Ma Yunmei, “Does Zhang Lei have slippers? Change her cotton-padded shoes into slippers.” Ma said, “No.” I was doing the sitting meditation on the bed at the time, and a guard named Liang Jie waved an electric baton at me and said, “I am going to shock you if you continue meditating.” Another female guard ordered the prisoners, “Drag her to the ground.” The prisoners all came toward me at the same time. That was the first time I was confined to a compartment for twelve days.

Third Time I Was Beaten and “Hung up in the Air”

On February 21, 2009, Xie Ling came to visit again. She asked me, “Did you have a good New Year's? How are you feeling?” Since I had had some experience dealing with her last time, I knew she was only being nice on the surface but cruel at heart. I didn't say anything. As if talking to herself, she said “Seems a lot better,” and walked out the door. Soon she came back with a few doctors, and again demanded to measure my blood pressure. I said, “No.” Yang, the head of the department, said, “We will give you injections if you don't get measured. Our hospital has a lot of injections. Don't you believe that I could give you shots often?” I said, “Do I have any health issues? What kind of shots are you going to give me?” Yang didn't answer me. I said, “I have the right to know what type of drugs you're giving me. This is my right. If you don't tell me but force me to take unknown drugs and I die, it would be because you persecuted me.”

Yang and Xie paid no attention to me whatsoever. They got a lot of prisoners including Lei Sufen, Mu Xinmei, Tao Zhuang, Zhang Zhenhua, Yu Yulan, Yang Yingxia, Ma Yunmei, Han Deyu, Jiang Lianying, Lu Hong, and Chen Chaohai. They all rushed over, knocked me down, and I was injected with an unknown drug. After the injection I felt the urge to urinate. Soon after, I started having symptoms of dizziness and palpitation. My hands and feet started shaking involuntarily, and I could not control myself at all. Originally I was sitting on a stool but because of palpitations and serious dizziness, I couldn't get myself to bed so I had to lay on the ground. It was very cold on the ground but I just could not get up.

I was thinking to myself at the time that if the persecution continued like this, I might suddenly die. I saw through the guard and knew that they were using different methods to try to force me to write the repentance statement. It was insidious and illegal. I needed to expose them. I could not let them persecute me to death. I needed to make myself heard and let everyone know that the guards were persecuting me and Falun Gong practitioners. I sat up and started shouting, “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good! It's illegal to persecute Falun Gong! Practicing Falun Gong is not a crime! Good is rewarded with good and evil meets evil when the time comes! People need to wake up. No matter what, do not get lost in delusion and commit a crime that you cannot make up for. People who persecute good people are bad no matter what age we're in!”

The guards heard me shouting and all panicked as if there was an earthquake. The door was blocked by many people. Some were cursing at me, some teasing me, and some insulting me at the same time. I ignored all this and kept on shouting. Xie Ling was getting really upset. She took a roll of packing tape herself and started putting tape on my face and around my head in an attempt to stop me. I wet the tape using my tongue and moved my chin back and forth to loosen tape. As soon as the tape wasn't sticking to my mouth I started shouting again. Xie Ling ran over to me real fast and started taping me again. I loosened up the tape and continued shouting. Since I had been tortured, I was physically very weak. I started having palpitations and feeling dizzy, and my arms and legs were shaking uncontrollably. I lay on the ground and rested for a little bit, then started shouting again. I was then handcuffed and hung on the bed while I was still shouting. I kept shouting even when I felt that my entire body including my hands and feet were all numb. The guards didn't come back. As long as I was physically capable, I shouted, until it was dark. Commander Yang Huan came, he unlocked my handcuffs while cursing at me. By that point my arms wouldn't relax since I had been hung for too long. Also since the time Xie Ling had bent my arm against her leg, I couldn't stretch out my arm. After two years, it still hurts.

Later, on March 16, April 10, April 27, and May 4, 2009, I was beaten for various reasons.

The Eighth Time I Was Beaten, Resulting in “Hemiplegia”

At around 9:00 a.m. on June 17, 2009, Xie Ling brought a prison doctor to take blood samples from me. I said, “I've only been here for a short time and blood samples have been taken four times. Why is my blood being taken again?” Xie Ling said, “If I tell you to have your blood drawn, you have to do so.” I said, “I want to speak to the doctor who requested my blood samples.” A doctor named Duan came. I said to her, “I've done all the blood tests that I am supposed to. My blood samples have even been taken a few times for the same reason. Are you guys using this as an excuse to persecute me? Or you're truly concerned about my health?” Duan said, “Like I care. If you don't cooperate, we are going to have to force you.” I said, “You are going to use this as an excuse to persecute me again, aren't you?” I continued, “Since I came to the Second Prison and was beaten, I have been having issues with my blood pressure and heart. Something may happen if you insist on doing this. Plus, whether or not my illnesses are treated is my decision, my right. Forcing me like this is a serious violation of my human rights.” Dr. Duan said, “Violation or not, we don't care.” She spoke a few sentences to Xie Ling quietly, and another round of persecution started.

Prisoners including Tao Zhuang, Ma Yunmei, Han Deyu, Li Wenying, Jiang Lianying, Yu Yulan, three prisoners who worked at the dinning hall, and two prison doctors all came toward me, pulled me, dragged me, and hit me. I don't know exactly when I lost consciousness.

After I regained consciousness I hurt all over. I couldn't even turn over. There were bruises and wounds all over. At the same time I felt that the right side of my body was numb. The next morning when I woke up, the numbness in the right half of my body, including my hands and feet, had worsened. Even my tongue was numb, and I couldn't speak clearly. I kept on biting my tongue when I spoke. The tip of my right foot dragged when I walked. I could not pick it up. When I used the bathroom, I found that I couldn't even hold the toilet paper. The prison doctor came to examine me and found that my body's right side was completely paralyzed. The doctor also checked the bottom of my eye (I don't know the result). And my upper lip groove was shallower than before. As a result of the persecution, I was experiencing symptoms of “stroke with hemiplegia.”

After Requesting a Physical Examination, I Was Illegally Confined for Three Months

After I was beaten and tortured, I had symptoms of hemiplegia and it was getting worse. I asked the prison doctor, “What's the problem?” The doctor said, “We're not sure.” The prison doctor tried to force me to take medication and injections before they even came to a better understanding or were clear on what type of health issue I was having. I said, “What medication are you giving me?” The doctor said, “Sodium salicylate and salvia.” I said, “My current condition is not even clear. Why are you already prescribing medication? Please give me an accurate diagnosis.”

The second day my condition worsened. Another doctor came but still only tried to prescribe medication instead of giving me a diagnosis. Just like that, about ten days had passed. I requested verbally (since I could not hold anything with my right hand to write) to have a physical examination done at a regular hospital so I could have a precise diagnosis. I said that I was in good health when I got there, but no longer. I also told them that I believed my health condition was a direct result of the beatings.

When Xie Ling found out, she said, “A verbal request is not enough. You have to have a written petition.” I said, “I can't write.” Xie Ling said, “Well, it's not my problem.” I said, “Can I ask others to help me?” Xie Ling said, “No!” I know that she was giving me a hard time, so I wrote the petition very slowly with my left hand and turned it in. After about 20 days, Xie Ling responded and said, “The petition you turned in is not up to standard.” I asked, “How is it not up to standard?” Xie Ling said, “You can't say that you were beaten and have bruises and wounds all over.” I said, “But it is the truth. Why can't I tell the truth?” Xie Ling said, “If you don't change it, you can't be examined.” I said, “You guys are unreasonable. Are you afraid that my diagnosis will become evidence of the persecution that you put me through? Don't you guys have control over this huge institution of dictatorship? Why are you still scared of me, someone who is being persecuted?”

Commander Yang Huan came and said, “You're so tough. Yet you're still going to serve a full five-year term in prison.” I said, “Not necessarily. I won't say a word if this is God's will. If it's not, it would be impossible for you to keep me even a day longer. This is not something that you can control.” Yang left disappointed. On July 9, Xie Ling yelled outside of my door, “Zhang Lei. Come out!” I went out and asked her, “Where to?” Xie Ling said, “Didn't you request a physical at a regular hospital? Let's go.” Just like that, Xie put me in a compartment unreasonably, only because I requested to have a physical at a regular hospital and that made Xie Ling angry. I was confined for three months (from July 9 to October 9, 2009).

During the time I was confined, I exercised my right according to the prison rules and wrote letters of appeal to the warden. I reported about Yang Huan and Xie Ling's illegal actions. All three of my letters were intercepted and destroyed by Xie Ling illegally. Xie Ling said, “You know how to write, don't you? Why not write another one? Why still write letters of appeal? Sue me! I'll see where you'd go to sue me. Doesn't matter where you go, I'm not scared of you.”

Illegally Confined Again for One Month for Telling the Truth

On November 18, 2009, guard Chen Miao said to me, “Zhang Lei, aren't we nice to you? A few days ago, I gave you the registered letter from your husband right away after I read it.” I said, “What did he say in the letter?” She said, “Mainly law-related information.” I said, “I never got the letter.” She said, “You talk about Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance all the time. Why do you dare not admit that you received the letter.” I said, “I honestly never got the letter.” At that time, Xie Ling was standing nearby. She couldn't remain silent anymore and said, “Who can prove that you have this letter? How come I didn't see it? (Seeing Chen's expression and hearing what Xie was saying, I was pretty sure that Xie took my letter.) I think you want to go to a solitary compartment again.” She walked out the door as she was speaking. Pretty soon, Xie Ling came to me and said, “Let's go. Let's go to the compartment.” Just like that, because I told the truth and exposed Xie Ling's illegal action of seizing private letters, I was put in a compartment for the third time and was confined for a month (November 18 to December 18, 2009).

Subjected to the “Sitting on a Small Stool” Torture

“Sitting on a small stool” is a torture method used at the Yunnan Second Women's Prison to persecute and torture Falun Gong practitioners physically and mentally. This method kills by subtle means, and is a disguised form of torture. All steadfast Falun Gong practitioners were forced to sit on a wooden stool about 30 square centimeters that has raised areas like nails, for long periods of time, usually from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Not to mention elderly people in their seventies or eighties, it is hard to endure even for a person in good health. Using a mosquito net during the night is not allowed. There were about 18 people in each dorm, but only the Falun Gong practitioners were denied the use of mosquito nets. The practitioners got mosquito bites and could not sleep well. After being bitten, the skin would itch and hurt, or even get infected. If you didn't give up your belief, you would have to sit on a small stool day after day. Some practitioners were made to sit until they were released from the prison. Their pants were worn out and buttocks worn and bleeding. Some practitioners' blood pressure went up. Some practitioners' arms and legs swelled and even their entire bodies developed symptoms of edema. They suffered a great deal physically and mentally.

 
Torture re-enactment: Sitting on a small stool

Besides being confined, I was also forced to sit on a small stool every day for about 16 hours. I was watched by two “baojias.” Falun Dafa practitioners were not allowed to talk amongst themselves, not even with other prisoners. We were monitored constantly, while eating, drinking, standing, walking, sitting, sleeping, using the bathroom, washing our faces, washing our feet, and washing our clothes. If we moved even just a bit after sitting for a long time, or if we glanced unconsciously when someone walked by, we were yelled at or even beaten. The “baojias” said, “If we don't yell at you, the guards will yell at us.”

Restricted Bathroom Usage Another Form of Persecution

Restrictions on bathroom usage also became a way of persecuting Falun Gong practitioners who refused to write the three statements. They were only allowed to use the bathroom three times a day and there was a limitation on how long they could use the bathrooms for. The “baojia” had total control over how long you could spend in the bathroom. If you exceed your time limit just a bit, the baojia watching you would start yelling outside the door. Sometimes the time was up when you were only half way through and your stomach really hurt, but you had no choice but to get up. Sometimes you couldn't hold it any longer, yet it was not time to use the bathroom, so you would have to soil your pants. I soiled my pants many times. There was a Falun Gong practitioner named Yang Xingchun who asked to use the bathroom many times but was never allowed. She had to soil her pants. Later, both she and I developed symptoms of urinary tract infections. One time, my stomach really hurt, and I needed to use the bathroom but was not allowed to. My stomach hurt when I had to hold it. It was so painful that I was kneeling on the ground and sweating profusely on a cold winter day.

Other than what I've described above, there were also other forms of persecution such as denied visitation, restricted purchase of necessary commodities, and buying food items not being allowed.