Calls to Bring Jiansanjiang Officials to Justice Over Torture of Lawyers

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• published: 08 Apr 2014
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Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cnforbiddennews Like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/chinaforbiddennews With persistent protests of Chinese human rights lawyers and citizens, the remaining three illegally detained lawyers in Jiansanjiang of Heilongjiang Province were finally released on April 6. While in detention, the lawyers were subjected to torture and threats of their organs being harvested.The Falun Gong Human Rights Lawyers Working Group (FalunHR) issued a statement on April 7. It paid respect to the lawyers and condemned the evil crimes of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The statement also vows to bring the criminals involved in the Jiansanjiang incident to justice. The four lawyers, Jiang Tianyong, Tang Jitian, Wang Cheng, and Zhang Junjie, were formerly commissioned by Falun Gong practitioners who were illegally detained in Jiansanjiang black jail. They were framed with false charges and illegally detained. During the detention, local police violently beat the lawyers. Lawyer Zhang Junjie was released after five days of detention, and diagnosed with three broken ribs. On April 6, when the remaining three other lawyers were released, hundreds of police were dispatched. Road blocks were set up several kilometers away from the black jail, with more than 10 police cars along the roadside. A group of lawyers and citizens who went to meet the three lawyers were arrested and detained for five hours. Subsequently, the three lawyers were escorted to the airport by the police. Lawyer Tang Jitian spoke to NTD about his experiences. He said that the police handcuffed his hands behind his back, tied a rope to them, and lifted him off the ground.They beat his chest, slapped his face, threatened to harvest his kidneys while alive, and threatened to bury him alive. Lawyers Wang Cheng and Jiang Tianyong were subjected to the same torture and death threats. Guangdong lawyer Pang Kun said Jiang Tianyong was beaten more severely. Our NTD reporter has tried to phone Jiang Tianyong several times, but the phone has been turned off. Lawyer Wang Cheng went to the hospital for injury on April 7. He said that when they were arrested on March 21, they were hung up and beaten with black hoods on their heads. Wang Cheng, lawyer: "The mainly hit the left side of my head, my ribs and my back. It was over 10 days ago, but I have had a little recovery. The doctor said there's no broken bones, but some contusion and fractures. There is a chance for full and complete recovery, but will take two to three months." Wang Cheng said that the police also threatened to bury him alive. Threats also included that they would shoot him, remove his organs while still alive, and send him to a so-called legal base. They also told him if it weren't for the labor camps being abolished, he would have been sent directly to a labor camp. Currently, 15 citizens involved in the rescue team for the four illegally detained lawyers remain jailed. Lawyers Tang Jitian and Wang Cheng indicated that they will never forget the sacrifices made by citizens throughout China. They will do all they can to provide legal help for them. FalunHR issued a statement on April 7, paying respect to the lawyers who were released, wishing them a speedy recovery. FalunHR also called on all Chinese lawyers and citizens to support the rescue team. This would allow the team to play a greater role in saving vast numbers of persecuted Chinese people.It will also provide information to international lawyers associations and human rights organizations. FalunHR spokesperson Theresa Zhu commented. The torture and threats of live organ harvesting directed towards the lawyers by the police is indicative of the CCP conducting live organ harvesting from Chinese Falun Gong practitioners. Theresa Zhu: "The CCP is conducting live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. This form of persecution to wipe out Falun Gong exists across the entire state, from central to local authorities. We once again urge the United Nations and European Parliament to immediately organize a team to conduct an investigation in China about the crimes of live organ harvesting" Evidence of live organ harvesting in the persecution of Falun Gong was revealed in March 2006. Independent research by former U.S. think tank researcher Ethan Gutmann suggests around 65,000 Chinese Falun Gong practitioners were killed for organ harvesting by 2008. Theresa Zhu: "We know in China that there are extra-legal black jails in every corner of the country. They conduct the persecution of Chinese people, and we also know in every city there are concentration camps withholding large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners. Those camps are the unknown and mysterious places conducting live organ harvesting." 《神韵》2014世界巡演新亮点 http://www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org/