The “Back Tandem” Torture at Lanzhou City First Detention Center

(Minghui.org) For the past 23 years of persecution of Falun Dafa, the guards in Lanzhou City First Detention Center in Gansu Province have used a torture they dubbed “Back Tandem” when attempting to force detained practitioners to renounce their faith.

The guards handcuff a practitioner’s wrists behind their back, make her kneel down, and tie the handcuff as close as possible to the leg shackles. This way the practitioner stay in a kneel-down, backward-bending position. The longest time a practitioner has been kept in this position is 30 days. The torture caused her pain and soreness all over, and she could only lay down on her side to temporarily relieve the pain. She could barely take care of her daily needs. Such torture could also result in severe spine injuries.

Illustration of the “Back Tandem” torture

Ms. Liu Wanqiu from Xigu District, Lanzhou City, was subjected to the “Back Tandem” torture for 30 days in 2016. During this time she was made to sleep on the ground.

Ms. Yuan Xiuying, also from Lanzhou City, suffered the same torture on November 28, 2017. Her spine fractured as a result.

Ms. Li Ya from Pingliang City was handcuffed for seven days straight upon arriving at the detention center in May 2019, for shouting “Falun Dafa is good.” Every night the guards had two to three detainees watch her closely. She was once shackled for 30 days for not squatting during a roll call. After over two years in the detention center, she was given 4.5 years in Gansu Province Women’s Prison.

As of March 2023, nine practitioners remain incarcerated in the detention center and the guards continue to torture them for not renouncing their faith. The following is a brief torture summary of three of the practitioners.

Ms. Jin Yijun

Agents from Qilihe District 610 Office and Political and Legal Affairs Committee frequently harassed Ms. Jin Yijun beginning in 2021, ordering her to sign statements to renounce her faith in Falun Dafa. As she refused to comply, she was arrested on September 24, 2021. Officers from the Xiaoxihu Police Station seized her from home and put her in Qilihe Lockup, before transferring her to Lanzhou City First Detention Center on October 2 of that year.

Ms. Jin refused to memorize the rules in the detention center or squat during roll calls. In retaliation the guards made her stand still during the day and deprived her of sleep at night. The head of the cell warned her that if she continued to behave that way, she’d be put under strict management and tortured.

The head of the cell had other detainees beat Ms. Jin on December 27, 2022 because she did not squat during a roll call. The head guard saw the beating but ignored it because he was told that the victim was a Falun Dafa practitioner. She was transferred to another cell and subjected to the “Back Tandem” torture.

Ms. Jin was forced to wear leg shackles for 15 consecutive days and not allowed to sleep. She was not allowed to lower her head or close her eyes. Other detainees could beat her at will. No one helped her to get water, and she had no way to wash up, clean herself, and wash her clothes. Sometimes they would not even get her drinking water.

Ms. Jin was indicted by the Chengguan District Procuratorate on April 22, 2022 and stood trial in Chengguan District Court on April 7, 2023.

Ms. Zhang Ping

Ms. Zhang Ping from Lanzhou City used to work in Gansu Province Trust and Investment Company. She was arrested on May 9, 2022 for talking to people on the streets about the persecution of Falun Dafa. The Chengguan District Procuratorate indicted her and moved her case to the Chengguan District Court on August 4, 2022.

The police put Ms. Zhang in Lanzhou City First Detention Center on May 11, 2022. Five days later a captain of the 11th team subjected her to the “Back Tandem” torture for 20 days because she did the Falun Dafa exercises. During the time no one helped her to relieve herself, and she was given little water.

Ms. Zhang was transferred to the 13th team on June 8, 2022. The captain there made her stand for four hours each day. Her legs became swollen as a result. Her hair turned gray and she became emaciated.

Ms. Yang Hui

Ms. Yang Hui from Dongxin District, Shanghai was arrested on her business trip to Lanzhou City in June 2022, for talking to the passenger next to her about the persecution of Falun Dafa. She was taken to Lanzhou City First Detention Center on June 12. The guards put shackles on her because she did the Falun Dafa exercises. She was barred from using the restroom at one point. Her case was submitted to Lanzhou Railway Transport Procuratorate on September 22, and it was forwarded to the Lanzhou Railway Transport Court in mid October 2022.

Perpetrators’ contact information:

Li Kui (李奎), head of Lanzhou City First Detention Center: [phone]Zhang Yanlong (张彦龙), instructor of Lanzhou City First Detention Center: [phone]Li Li (李莉), director of the 13th team: [phone]Li Peng (李鹏), director of the 14th team

(More perpetrators’ contact information is available in the original article.)