(Minghui.org) Mr. Li Zongze, 30, lost about 20 pounds in just ten days after he was placed in solitary confinement, while serving five years for practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Li and ten other Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing were arrested on July 19, 2020, by over 100 police officers, after they were suspected of submitting photos of the city during the COVID pandemic lockdown to the Epoch Times, a U.S.-based media company. All eleven of them were sentenced to 2-8 years on January 14, 2022. Their appeals were rejected on May 18, 2023.
Mr. Li, a native of Dezhou City, Shandong Province, was initially ordered to serve his five-year term at the Tianhe Prison in Beijing, but was transferred to Ward Eleven of the Shandong Province First Prison (located in the capital city of Jinan) in September 2023.
Over the past 24 years since the persecution began, thousands of male practitioners have been incarcerated and tortured in Ward Eleven of the Shandong Province First Prison. The prison guards often instigate inmates to abuse practitioners both mentally and physically. Many practitioners were beaten, shocked with electric batons, hung up and deprived of sleep.
It was recently learned that Mr. Li was held in a solitary confinement cell for at least ten days. Chen Shuo (vice head of Ward Eleven), head inmate Zhao Gang, and inmate Li Wenda (no relation) forced Mr. Li to watch videos that slander Falun Gong every day and ordered him to renounce his faith. In just ten days, he lost about 20 pounds.
Previously Arrested Three Times and Fired From Job for Seeking Father’s Release
Mr. Li was only six years old when the persecution began in 1999 and he witnessed how his father, Mr. Li Zhiqiang, was repeatedly arrested and harassed for practicing Falun Gong. When the elder Mr. Li was arrested again in March 2014, his son who was a 21-year-old college student at the time, was arrested three times for seeking his father’s release.
During one arrest episode, the younger Mr. Li was assaulted by police. His eyeglasses, keys, and shoes fell off in the struggle. The backs of his hands, his wrists and arms were covered with bruises. His mouth was bleeding. His back was also covered in blood. His hands were cuffed, swelled and became numb.
Mr. Li was tied to a chair and interrogated for over three hours. He protested, “I only came here to find out about my father’s case status. Why are you treating me like this? My father follows Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to become a better person.” The police threatened him and said, “We will call your [university] president and have you expelled.”
Mr. Li’s father was later sentenced to four years and his son kept seeking his release. The Dezhou City Propaganda Department pressured Mr. Li’s employer to fire him. After losing his first job out of college, he moved to Beijing and found a new job.
Related reports:
Updates on the 11 Beijing Residents Sentenced to Prison Before the 2022 Winter Olympics
Appeals by Eleven Beijing Residents Against Wrongful Prison Terms Rejected
Eleven Falun Gong Practitioners in Beijing Sentenced to Prison Ahead of Winter Olympics
11 Beijing Residents Tried for Their Faith in Falun Gong
Eleven Beijing Residents’ Cases Returned to the Police for Insufficient Evidence
12 Beijing Residents Arrested Near Anniversary of Persecution of Falun Gong
Beijing Resident Still Detained Seven Weeks After Arrest for His Faith
28-year-old Beijing Resident Faces Trial for Taking Photos of Beijing During the Pandemic
Six Members of Same Family Arrested for Suing Former Chinese Leader
College Graduate Arrested Three Times for Seeking Father's Release
Mr. Li Zhiqiang Abused, Subjected to Brainwashing in Shandong Prison
College Student Assaulted by Police for Inquiring about Father's Case
Shandong Court Denies Practitioner of Legal Representation During Trial
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