(Minghui.org) Several hundred citizens of Baoding City, Hebei Province, have recently signed a petition, demanding that Baoding Prison immediately release Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zheng Xiangxing. They are angry at the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. More than 639 signatures have been collected so far.
Mr. Zheng, an honest businessman, was illegally arrested on February 25, 2012, for distributing Shen Yun performance DVDs. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He is being brutally tortured in Baoding Prison.
A man in his 70s said, “It is time for the CCP to go!”
A female octogenarian said, “Let's all sign the petition. The CCP is really vicious. They are persecuting good people.”
The daughter of a practitioner signed the petition. Her mother-in-law also signed it and said that she would have her husband sign it, too. The husband signed it without hesitation, which was a surprise to everyone, because he had been poisoned by the CCP propaganda.
When she found out her family members had signed the petition, a woman said, “Falun Gong is so good! I wish I could sign my name, too.” Her granddaughter signed on her behalf and she fingerprinted the petition.
A middle-aged small business owner not only singed the petition but also offered to help Mr. Zheng's family. A practitioner declined the kind offer and said, “Your signature is greatly appreciated. It is important if you just support this effort to end the persecution.”
A practitioner asked a village CCP secretary, “Everybody is signing to rescue Mr. Zheng. Would you also support the petition?” The person replied reluctantly, “I have never done a single good deed in my life. Would it be too late to make up for it?” He signed the petition and said, “This is the first time I've done something good in my life!”
A housewife said that she was taking her husband to the hospital. The practitioner advised her, “You will be rewarded for doing a good deed, and your husband will feel better.” The couple signed the petition. The husband immediately felt better and they canceled the hospital visit.
Mr. Zheng was persecuted for his refusal to be “transformed” in the detention center. He was tortured and suffered a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain. He vomited blood repeatedly and fell in the restroom.
The prison officials did not take him to the hospital until 15 hours later. They claimed that the skull fracture was the result of having fallen. This contradicted the report by Baoding Hospital, which said that the injury resulted from being hit on the head.
To conceal their crime, the prison officials took Mr. Zheng to Baoding First Central Hospital for surgery without the consent of his family. When Mr. Zheng regained consciousness, he was taken back to the prison instead of being approved for medical parole. He became disabled from complications after the operation.
The surgeon at Baoding First Central Hospital performed a tracheotomy on Mr. Zheng to prevent him from talking. Mr. Zheng was placed in a regular ward after the operation and was not provided with a ventilator. He was transferred to intensive care only because of pressure from his family.
Mr. Zheng's wife and family members have long protested outside the prison, demanding that he be released on medical parole. Their request was denied.
His family recently delivered a letter of complaint to the Hebei Central Discipline Inspection Commission, asking for an investigation and that those responsible--Baoding Prison and Baoding First Central Hospital--be punished.