China’s ‘Black Jails’ Citizens Held In Secret Prisons (VIDEO)

Some Chinese seeking help from the central government against local injustices are instead ending up in secret detention centers controlled by local politicians. The politicians are believed to arrange for petitioners to be abducted before they reach Beijing to complain, fearing central government investigations that could hurt their reputations. The central government denies the existence of such “black jails”, as Melissa Chan of Al Jazeera reports.

Disgusting and horrifying. I’m left without words. Props to Al Jazeera for showing us that. They give us more of these jewel reports than any other major English language news channels.

Chinese victims of torture often post their stories to online forums, hoping to expose what happens in China’s notorious detention centres. Today we bring you a few of these stories, but please note: The footage you’re about to see includes graphic images and content.

Those who read medieval storybooks will know about people being hung, drawn and quartered, and probably feel glad that times have changed since then. But there are reports that this very torture method is being used on political prisoners in China, and has claimed several lives. Testimonials posted to website Clearwisdom.net say detained Falun Gong practitioners have had their limbs stretched in four directions, in an effort to have them renounce their belief in the practice. They say two metal beds are placed side by side, and the victim’s arms and legs are fastened to the four outer bedpoles using ropes or handcuffs. Bricks are then wedged between the two beds, forcing them apart. The more bricks are placed, the more the victim’s limbs are stretched, disclocating his joints and tearing his tendons. The latest report is from the Weining Detention Centre in Benxi, a city in China’s northern coastal province of Liaoning, where Mr Lee Qinghuan was tortured this way for seven days straight, and died early this month. There are more than 20 similar reports about the Weining Detention Centre, with victims claiming they were stretched for up to 24 days. Since the Chinese Communist regime outlawed Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, more than 2000 Falun Gong practitioners have passed through Weining, and dozens have died or been driven to mental breakdown.