Older Practitioner Mr. Zhao Guoji Dies After Being Detained in Majiaping Prison, Sichuan Province

Mr. Ma Guoji, 63, lived in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province. On March 17th, 2007, officers from the Domestic Security Division arrested Mr. Zhao and took him to the district detention centre. Police took his computer, printer, and copier. He was interrogated off and on until August and then sentenced to five years in prison. He was taken to the Leshan City No.5 Prison in Sichuan Province on October 18th, 2007.

During the time Mr. Zhao was being interrogated, doctors at the Bazhong City People's Hospital diagnosed him with a bone tumour and hypertension. He should have been released for hospitalization, but the Bazhou District Court still sentenced him to five years in prison. They told his family to apply for medical parole, but delayed submitting his file since March, even ordering his family to pay the physical examination fee of 10,000 yuan¹. They said Mr. Zhao was sick at home before being detained in March 2007.

As a result of the detention and brutal mistreatment, Mr. Zhao Guoji could no longer walk, was emaciated, and could not take care of himself. In order to shirk responsibility, prison administration officials took him home on March 20th, 2008. He died on October 18th, 2008.

Note

1. "Yuan" is the Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/12/4/191082.html