THE transformation of Li Heping from a dark-haired, full-bodied healthy man to a gaunt, greying one with poor eyesight took less than two years. In July 2015 he was seized by police, as were some 300 other civil-rights lawyers, support staff and activists. Most of them were soon released, but around 40 were kept in custody. They included Mr Li (pictured, left, on a mobile phone held by his wife during her dogged campaign for his release). His jailers did not use his name: as “Number 108” he spent six months in solitary confinement on military bases. For eight weeks he was made to stand each day in a single stress position. Beatings were common. He was forced to take pills, purportedly for high blood pressure (a condition he does not suffer from), that left him drowsy and gave him muscle pain and blurry vision. In the end Mr Li was lucky—he received a suspended sentence for “subversion of state power”, and was set free last month.
Since he took over as China’s leader in 2012, Xi...Continue reading
Source: China http://ift.tt/2rAfrRb
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