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.’
