A Christian man who was arrested and became half immobile due to torture was forced to return to prison.
In October 2015, officers from a local police station in Inner Mongolia’s Wulanhaote city arrested Wang Qiang for his Christian faith (pseudonym).
He was sentenced to 13 months in prison, but within five months, he was tortured so severely that his pre-existing condition of rheumatism relapsed and half of his body became paralyzed. The police initially released him for medical treatment, saying, “the public security bureau doesn’t handle illnesses.”
Mr. Wang was released in March 2016 and started his treatment immediately. After a year and a half, he began to recover. However, in August 2017, the officers returned to his home to drag him back to prison. His family members protested against the move but were told, “he must serve 13 months, and not a day less.”
The next day, Mr. Wang was transferred to the Wuta Banner Prison in Inner Mongolia. He completed his sentence towards the end of April this year but was found unable to walk without assistance.
Reportedly, this was not the first time he was arrested. In 2005, Mr. Wang was detained while in a congregation but released within a month after he paid bribes. He has now been warned against further religious activities, or else authorities won’t be as “lenient.”
Reported by Gu Qi
