(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Li Zhiqiang from Dezhou, Shandong Province was sentenced to four years in prison on August 13, 2015 for practicing Falun Gong. He had already been detained for 19 months, during which time over 150 citizens signed a petition demanding his release.
Mr. Li was diagnosed with liver cysts, heart murmurs, lumbar disk protrusion, and high blood pressure before he was accepted by the Shandong Provincial Prison. After he arrived, he was taken to Ward 11, which was set up specifically to punish Falun Gong practitioners.
When his family visited him about 20 days later, they found him to be emaciated; his hair had turned gray, his face was pale, and he had bloodshot eyes.
He told his family that he was forced to watch propaganda videos attacking Falun Gong every day. The guards and inmates abused him in an effort to force him give up his belief. Prison officials also confiscated the money he had when he was transferred from the detention center.
Prison officials denied his wife's request to see his medical report, claimed that it was a state secret, and gave her the runaround.
Shandong Provincial Prison is on 91 Industrial South Road, Lixia District, Jinan City. It cannot be found on maps, and there is no sign on the outside of the prison gate. However, there is a sign that says “Jinan Shengjian Machine Factory.” There are over 90 Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned in this facility, with most of them serving sentences of over 7 years.
