Wife of renowned Chinese freelance political writer Zhang Lin recently said that Zhang has fallen ill in prison. Zhang was sentenced last August to five years in prison on charges of inciting subversion and is currently serving time at Tongling Prison in Anhui province, China.
Zhang’s wife, Fang Cao, visited Zhang on Monday, May 15 and learned he was suffering from severe cervical disc apophysis. The doctors recommended surgery. If not treated in time, Zhang could be paralyzed.
According to Fang, Zhang has had the disease for many years, but the condition rapidly worsened recently. Zhang’s previous imprisonment and years in forced labor camps left him with many illnesses. All his fingers are stiff. He can type using his right index finger only.
Fang sounded weak on the phone. She said she felt like she was about to collapse. She prays to God that Zhang will survive this new tribulation.
Fang visits Zhang once a month or every other month. The bus ride from Bangbu city where Fang lives to Tongling takes over eight hours. There is no direct bus connection. She has to transfer buses in Hefei city, Anhui Province.
When she arrives at the prison, she isn’t allowed to see Zhang right away. A few times Fang was the first to arrive to the visitation room but was the last to be allowed to visit. The visits are limited to 30 minutes. There are two layers of glass separating them and a phone for connection. A prison guard listens to all the conversations. They cannot discuss any sensitive political issues and can only talk about matters at home.
When Fang visited Zhang on May 15, she found that he moved very slowly and could not stand straight. His face also looked stiff. During the half-hour conversation, he kept using his hand to support his neck and often frowned.
