(Minghui.org) Since the persecution of Falun Gong started in July 1999, many practitioners have been arrested, sentenced, and tortured in Jinzhong Prison, also known as Shanxi No. 1 Prison. At least nine practitioners died and one ended up permanently disabled as a result of being tortured.

Disabled from Torture

Mr. Yuan Jinming, 60, of Houma City, Shanxi Province, was sentenced to 3.5 years on November 20, 2023, and fined 5,000 yuan. He was taken to Jinzhong Prison on December 12. This was the third time that he was sentenced to the same prison for practicing Falun Gong.

Mr. Yuan was first arrested on September 30, 2002, and later sentenced to three years. He was beaten in Jinzhong Prison for not renouncing his faith. He was also subjected to violent methods of brainwashing and forced to stand for so long that his legs swelled up and he couldn’t walk.

Mr. Yuan was arrested again on July 26, 2007, and sentenced to five years. In Jinzhong Prison, he was held in solitary confinement, doused with cold water, slapped in the face, punched and beaten, starved, and forced to sleep on the floor in only a thin layer of clothing. His legs were disabled when he was released on July 25, 2012.

Torture reenactment: Beating

Deaths

Mr. Liu Zhibin, also known as Mr. Liu Jieyun, was from Wuling Town, Lingqiu County. He was a small business owner. In July 2002, he was arrested for distributing Falun Gong materials and detained in Lingqiu County Detention Center for several months before being sentenced to four years. He died on July 20, 2004, after other inmates, directed by the guards, beat him senseless. He was 51.

Mr. Kang Zhiguo from Taiyuan City was arrested on October 1, 2002, for distributing Falun Gong materials. He was sentenced to three years in 2002 and taken to Jinzhong Prison. Because he refused to renounce his faith, the guards and inmates hit him with clubs until he collapsed. He died in the prison on May 20, 2005. He was also 51.

Mr. Luan Fusheng of Shijazhuang City, Hebei Province, was arrested in October 2002. He was sentenced to 11 years on July 7, 2003, and taken to Jinzhong Prison in early November 2003. He suffered from many health problems due to the torture and poor conditions in the prison. He couldn’t walk on his own and had difficulty speaking. Despite his condition, the prison didn’t release him until March 21, 2007. He died 19 days later on April 8, 2007. He was 56.

Mr. Lu Yaoxue from Xiangfen County was arrested on July 3, 2007, for distributing Falun Gong materials. He was sentenced to eight years in July 2007. He developed a medical condition in the prison in August 2009, but the prison authorities denied his family’s request to release him on medical parole. Only after Minghui.org reported how he was being persecuted did the prison release him on December 11, 2009. By then, he was unable to get out of bed and did not have the strength to talk. He died a month later on January 9, 2010. He was in his 60s.

Mr. Lu Haixing from Houma City was an electrical civil engineer. He was arrested on July 25, 2010, and sentenced to five years in January 2011. He used to be very healthy but developed a serious physical condition after being incarcerated in Jinzhong Prison for more than a year. He passed away on January 10, 2012. He was 45.

Mr. Guo Xiaowen from Wangqiao Town, Xiangyuan County, Changzhi City, was arrested in August 2012 for posting information about Falun Gong online. He was sentenced to three years and taken to Jinzhong Prison on March 6, 2013. He was beaten, held in solitary confinement, and force-fed until he died on March 12, 2013. He was 40.

Mr. Han Haiming of Wenshui County was arrested in his rental apartment on April 7, 2011. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in 2012 and taken to Jinzhong Prison on April 10, 2012. On April 4, 2014, a guard instructed an inmate to beat Mr. Han. Mr. Han had a cerebral hemorrhage and collapsed. In critical condition but in handcuffs and shackles, he was taken to the hospital and operated on. After that, Mr. Han had to be on a ventilator. He passed away on April 8, 2014. He was 67.

Mr. Wang Jigui of Pingding County, Yangquan City, was a Chinese medicine doctor. He was arrested on August 4, 2014, for distributing DVDs with information about Falun Gong. He was sentenced to three years and died in Jinzhong Prison on June 2, 2016. He was 59.

Mr. Luo Baojun of Taiyuan City was arrested on July 25, 2018, for reading Falun Gong books. He was held in Gujiao Detention Center and later sentenced to five years and fined 20,000 yuan. He was persecuted to death in April 2021 while he was in Jinzhong Prison. He was 64.