Pastor Zhang Shaojie of Nanle Country Christian Church, Henan Province, is ‘barely alive’ after suffering various forms of torture in prison, according to reports from his daughter in June.
His daughter, Esther Zhang Huixin, who is based in the US, said that Pastor Zhang is suffering both mentally and physically as a result of meagre food rations and sleep deprivation: ‘They cruelly torture my father. He’s unable to see the sun during the day. He’s deprived of sleep for 24 hours at a time. The prison gives him only one steamed bun a day. According to people who have been released from that prison, my father is barely alive.’
Twelve-year sentence
Zhang Shaojie’s sister, Zhang Cuijuan, said after a recent visit: ‘He was in a terrible mental state. His eyes burned from sleep deprivation. He said that he is forbidden to sleep during “strict supervision”. He was depressed, and I had no way to help him. The prison guard held the phone throughout our entire conversation and we were forbidden to talk about his case.’
In summer 2014, Pastor Zhang Shaojie was sentenced to 12 years in prison and given a 100,000 RMB fine for ‘fraud’ and for ‘gathering a crowd to disturb public order’. He was detained without formal documentation in November 2013, along with over 20 members of the registered Nanle County Christian Church (TSPM). Church members, lawyers and Christians visiting the family of the detained Protestant pastor were beaten, harassed and detained by police and government agencies in December 2013. When Zhang’s trial reached court, his lawyers were detained and he had to dismiss them from the case following concerns that they were at risk of losing their licences.
During court proceedings, lawyer Xia Jun questioned witness statements against Pastor Zhang, alleging that the statement of at least one witness was taken under duress, and raised concerns about the rule of law. Zhang’s lawyers were not told about the date of his appeal in August 2014 or permitted to attend proceedings.
