(Minghui.org) The high-security division at the Hunan Province Women’s Prison is specifically used to detain Falun Gong practitioners wrongfully imprisoned for their faith. Each cell is managed by a head inmate appointed by the guards and given the title “study lead.” They were responsible for carrying out the specific tortures as ordered by the guards. 

One of the most commonly used torture methods is long hours of standing. The practitioners are forced to stand straight from getting up at 6:30 a.m. until bedtime at 10 p.m. They have to keep their bodies motionless and are only allowed to move their arms when having meals or drinking water. 

For 24 hours, they could only use the restroom once, for ten minutes only, and are prohibited from washing themselves for the rest of the day. They also must report to and get permission from the head inmate before they can use the restroom. With the limited access to the restroom, some practitioners were forced to relieve themselves in their pants. Some avoided drinking water or limited their water intake. The long-term standing caused bruises on their feet and swellings of their hands, abdomen, and legs. 

Torture illustration: standing

If the practitioners refused to renounce Falun Gong, they weren’t allowed to take showers either, not even after their monthly mandatory haircut.

In addition to the standing torture, the practitioners are also verbally abused by the inmates and forced to watch anti-Falun Gong videos. The physical torture will escalate for those who still hold firm to Falun Gong after the initial torture sessions.

Below are select torture cases in prison, including two practitioners who have passed away.

Ms. Zhang Yaqin was arrested on December 30, 2018, for talking to people about Falun Gong at a farmer’s market and later sentenced to three years. She was admitted to the Hunan Province Women’s Prison on August 13, 2019, and held in the High Security Division. She was subjected to intensive brainwashing aimed at forcing her to renounce Falun Gong. Her family was never allowed to visit her during that time. She developed high blood pressure and became emaciated as a result of the torture. She passed away in prison on December 12, 2020, at the age of 65.

Ms. Yang Zhilan, a retired accountant with the Hengyang City Youth Cultural Center, was sentenced to 2.5 years on September 2, 2005, for raising awareness about the persecution. While she was held at the Hunan Province Women’s Prison, the guards forced her to stand or sit still for long periods of time, twisted and handcuffed her arms behind her back for hours on end, and force-fed her unknown nerve-damaging drugs. The local police continued to harass her after she was released. She passed away in early October 2023. She was 75.

Ms. Liu Dongxian of Changde City was arrested in December 2016 and sentenced to nine years on March 13, 2018. She developed a severe heart condition and high blood pressure as a result of the torture at the High-Security Division.

Ms. Xiao Yongkang of Huayuan County was arrested on February 23, 2018, and sentenced to four years on October 30, 2018. She was transferred to the High Security Division at Hunan Province Women’s Prison on March 20, 2019. She endured horrific torture in the prison, including long hours of standing, sleep deprivation, starvation, and constant beatings. Several inmates once poured urine over her head and wiped a soiled sanitary pad across her mouth. 

Ms. Guo Yuanhe, a Guidong County resident around 70, was arrested in March 2020 and sentenced to four years and six months in October of that year. She suffered all kinds of torture including restricted restroom use, verbal abuse, and brainwashing in the Hunan Province Women’s Prison. She was once driven to the point of mental collapse and treated in the hospital, where she was force-fed and lost eight teeth.

Ms. Liu Chunqin of Zhuzhou City was arrested on May 27, 2020, for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to four years on November 6, 2020, and admitted to the Hunan Province Women’s Prison on March 1, 2021. At the High-Security Division, she was shocked with electric batons, forced to stand for long hours every day, and not allowed to take showers or even wash her dishes after each meal. 

Ms. Hu Fengying, a 64-year-old resident of Chenzhou City, was arrested on March 8, 2022, for talking to people about Falun Gong. She was sentenced to three and a half years in late 2022. She is currently still held at the High-Security Division.

Related Reports:

Crimes Against Falun Gong Practitioners Held in Maximum Security Division of Hunan Province Women’s Prison

Recounting the Torture at Hunan Province Women’s Prison

Falun Gong Practitioners Persecuted in Hunan Province Women’s Prison

Brutality Against Falun Gong Practitioners in Hunan Women’s Prison

Straitjacket Commonly Used in Hunan Women’s Prison to Torture Falun Gong Practitioners