(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Liu Yunchao, a Falun Gong practitioner from Wuhan City, was sentenced to four years of imprisonment by the Xialu District Court in Huangshi City in April 2009. He has been held in Fanjiatai Prison in Shayang County. Mr. Liu's family recently received a phone call from the prison, advising them that his condition was life-threatening. When Mr. Liu's family went to the prison hospital to see him, they found him emaciated and unconscious with heavily bruised feet. Mr. Liu's family called his name many times to rouse him, but he was only able to sigh and unable to speak.

When Mr. Liu's family requested to take him back to Wuhan City, prison officials informed them that approval was needed from the 610 Office and other offices in both Huangshi City and Wuhan City, requiring more than 30 signatures. Mr. Liu's family went back to Wuhan City to obtain the required signatures. When they asked for a signature from Hu Shaobin, head of the Jiang'an District 610 Office, his response was that he would rather Mr. Liu die in prison since Mr. Liu was so stubborn.

Practicing Falun Gong Changed Mr. Liu into a Good Person

When Mr. Liu was very young, he liked to fight with others, and people considered him a bad boy. Later, he worked for a construction company, but he was not a very hard worker. After getting married, he made a living carrying people on a motorcycle. At work, he still liked to fight and compete with others for customers.

Everything changed once Mr. Liu started to practice Falun Gong. One day he heard the exercise music in a park, so he went to investigate. He read the introductory materials on Falun Gong, which cultivates one's xinxing, improves both mind and body, and follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, was very favorably impressed, and decided to start practicing.

After that, Mr. Liu stopped fighting. Instead, he worked hard to support the family and strictly disciplined himself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Rather than bullying others, he began to follow the rules at his workplace.

Truth-clarification and Imprisonment

After the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) began to persecute Falun Gong, Mr. Liu was arrested many times. He was also sent to forced labor camps and was imprisoned.

Mr. Liu was sentenced to forced labor in 2000 for a term of two years and was held in Division 2 of the Hewan Labor Camp in Wuhan City. Guards once suspended him up in mid-air for 35 days. Because of the long-term detention in solitary confinement, he nearly went blind and both of his legs are impaired. Still, officials sent Mr. Liu from the forced labor camp directly to a brainwashing center. He was released a month later. However, within one month after returning home, Mr. Liu was again sent to a brainwashing center in January 2003.

Wu Bilin and Mr. Liu were arrested when they clarified the truth at the Huangpi District No. 288 Plant on August 6, 2007. Mr. Liu was held at the Huangpi District Detention Center.

Agents from the Laoxialu Police Station in Huangshi City arrested Mr. Liu when he went to distribute truth-clarification materials near the police station. Ma Shengqiang, a driver who did not practice Falun Gong, was also arrested at the same time. They were both kept at the First Detention Center in Huangshi City.

Xialu District Court sentenced Mr. Liu to four years of imprisonment on April 1, 2009. At the First Detention Center in Huangshi City, guards brutally beat and tortured him and also starved him for long periods of time. Guards once tied him up on a Tiger Bench for three days and nights. Guards also tortured Ma Shengqiang and tied him up on the Tiger Bench for one day. Ma was later sentenced to two years of imprisonment.

Persecution during the past several years has turned formerly healthy Mr. Liu into an impaired individual. His condition is now life-threatening, and the CCP officials still do not want to release him.