With the Charge of “Believing in Jesus Is Cult” His Body Became Covered with Scars from Torture

Baoping Liu, 27, from Qugu Town, Lin County, Shanxi Province, was an evangelist. On May 18^th, 2003, he went and preached the gospel in Hequ County. Around 6:30 at evening, he was passing by Hequ People’s Hospital. Suddenly, the county police department Criminal Team Leader Yong Han led four police stopped and arrested him into the car even before he could realize what happened.

In the car, Liu was beaten up by the police. Someone slapped him on his face, someone punched him while grabbing his hair, and even someone struck his face and head with a flashlight. Han said ferociously, “Give you a hard lesson when get back to the department!”

About 8:00 at the night, Baoping Liu was taken to the county police department. Han led several police interrogate and torture him. Then beat him up and also used electric batons to shock him. Such interrogation lasted till 10:00. But the police did not give up. They cuffed his hands across his back by pushing his left hand down and pulling the right hand up. The sweat covered his head and face immediately caused by the pain. After half an hour, the police cuffed his hands to a 2-meter high bed and only let his toe tips touch the ground. He was interrogated in such a way for more than two hours. The police finally stopped interrogation around 1:00 at midnight.

Around noontime on 19^th, the police took away several spiritual books, tapes and other things from Liu’s bag. At 1:00, he was interrogated fro the second time. Han whipped him countless using a leather belt. Han also struck him with a wood stick, sneering, “Aren’t you a God-believer? Why don’t you ask your God come to save you?” He struck so hard that the stick was broken. The torture lasted till after 2:00, then the police collected 1000 RMB (~$125) fine from him under the charge of “believing in Jesus is cult organization” and released him.

Baoping Liu’s body was fully covered with injuries from the torture. His wrists were covered with scars from the cuff teeth, and legs had several dozen scars from the electric batons.