(Minghui.org) Adhering to a nearly two-decades-old protocol to brutally persecute Falun Gong practitioners, officials in China today use all their available means to see the protocol through.

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Liao Zhijun from Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, was arrested by Domestic Security police in Suxian District on April 18, 2013, for practicing Falun Gong.

He was illegally sentenced to four years' imprisonment by the Suxian District Court. He was held in Wangling Prison, Zhuzhou City, from April 18, 2014 until his release on November 18, 2016.

Mr. Liao was tortured in Wangling Prison.

On his arrival at the prison gates on April 18, 2014, he protested his illegal sentence by repeatedly shouting “Falun Dafa is good” for over 10 minutes and refused to wear the prison uniform. Prison instructor Xie and team lead Tan Lingfu ordered a group of prisoners to strip off Mr. Liao’s clothes and to put the prison uniform and shackles on him.

Vicious Beating

On June 22, 2014, prison guards demanded that Mr. Liao write that he would renounce Falun Gong. Instead, he wrote, “Falun Dafa is good.” Guard Xiao Jinyuan from the First Prison Team ordered four prisoners to push Mr. Liao to the ground and viciously beat his back and buttocks, causing severe injury.

Mr. Liao showed his injuries to the Education Section head Zhang Zhenmin and first brigade head Zou, who both ignored him. In retaliation for Mr. Liao’s speaking out about the abuse, Xiao Jinyuan put him in an isolation cell.

Exposed to the Burning Sun

Mr. Liao was handcuffed and tied to a tree in September 2014 by Xiao Jinyuan, who claimed that Mr. Liao had violated prison regulations. Xiao ordered prisoners to stuff a dirty rag in Mr. Liao’s mouth to prevent him from shouting. They left him exposed to the sun for the entire day.

During the night, Mr. Liao was tied to a bed frame. When he questioned Xiao about the cruel treatment, Xiao claimed that, as a guard, he could do as he wished.

Tortured in Solitary Confinement

Mr. Liao was locked in a small cell for seven days around the 2015 Chinese New Year for shouting “Falun Dafa is good” during a prison meeting.

He was not given adequate winter clothing. Instructor Chen Zhigang shocked Mr. Liao with an electric baton on the third day of his confinement.

He was later held in a confinement cell for 15 days, during which time he was given very little food. He was forced to get up at 6 a.m., stand for 5 hours, and then sit on the cold cement floor for over 10 hours.

He was again locked in confinement for 15 days in March 2015 by guard Xiao Jinyuan. Because he did not comply with the guards’ demands, he was held for 10 more days in solitary confinement.

Brainwashing Sessions

Instructor Chen Zhigang and others stripped Mr. Liao of his clothes and shocked him with four electric batons for two minutes. Chen then shackled Mr. Liao to an "iron chair" until 11 p.m. They forced Mr. Liao to listen to propaganda that slandered Falun Gong during his entire stay in the confinement cell.

Mr. Liao was taken to a highly guarded area by Eighth Brigade instructor Liao Zhijun on June 25, 2015. This area was set up by the 610 Office for the torture of Falun Gong practitioners. He was forced to stand still for the entire night. As soon as he would close his eyes, prisoners would spray him with water. He was also forced to watch brainwashing videos.

Witnessing Torture

Mr. Liao also witnessed prison guards torture practitioner Mr. Xiong Bo at the end of October 2016. Mr. Xiong had been transferred to the Wangling Prison from Jingshi Prison and then turned over to Eighth Brigade head Peng Jiannan. Peng inserted an electric baton into Mr. Xiong's mouth, while guards Yuan Sheng, Zhou Qunhui, and Zhang Haibo restrained him.