Sixty-three-year-old Christian Beaten to Half Death

Changmao Zhao, 63, was a Christian living in Zhangwan District, Shiyan City, Hubei Province. In the afternoon on May 14^th, 2003, the local police and community officials broke into his home. The police arrested him and other three Christians meeting there, who were Shaozhen Wang, female, from Hujiaying Town, Yun County, Chuanxiu Wang, female, from Shiyan City, Peifang Zhang, female, from Shiyan City. After ransacking the house, the police took them to Huaguo Road Police Station.

Shaozhen Wang was bailed out. The other three were interrogated and beaten up. Tingxiang Ming and Gongping Zhou, the director and associate director of The State Protection Team of Zhangwan District Police Department led the interrogation. Gongping Zhou howled at Changmao Zhao, “Believing in God privately is against the law. Now the state is organizing police force to specially strike you!” Then he slapped Zhao on his face for a while. After that he punched the old man’s back and head for more than dozen punches until he fainted out on the ground. Tingxiang Ming took off the old man’s clothes, and used a leather belt to whip him, shouting, “I will strip off your skin today! No law prevents me from beating you believers to death!” He whipped him for several dozens. Then the two policemen beat him together on his face and all around his body. The old man was half dead already. But they still did not stop. They pulled him up and cuffed him on a rail to continue the interrogation for more than 20 hours.

Sister Chuanxiu Wang was also beaten up by the police. Sister Peifang Zhang had a fit of epilepsy and convulsed on the ground. But the police still kicked her allover.

The next day, after collecting 3000 RMB each, the police released Sisters Wang and Zhang. Since Changmao Zhao did not have money, the police beat him again and then kicked him out of the door. The old man fell in sick and lied on the bed since then…