12/20/2019 China (International Christian Concern) – The wife of imprisoned Chinese pastor Zhang Shaojie visited him at Second Prison in Henan province on December 13, along with his sister. “I could sense that he became another person,” she told China Aid.

The pastor from the state-vetted Nanle County Christian Church, was arrested in November 2013, after a dispute with local officials who were trying to seize church land. In July 2014, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for “gathering a crowd to disrupt public order” and fraud.

He has served six years of his sentence so far, and despite his attempt to appeal, the local authorities have deliberately delayed the process.

His wife Wang Fengrui said Zhang has been fed a type of white small pill by the prison for the past six months. Though his family tried to remind him not to take unknown pills, Zhang claimed that he has high blood pressure, and if he stops taking the pills he would suffer. He also said that the prison doctor told him if he has high blood pressure, his life would be at stake.

His family could feel that his mental state has deteriorated this time, with a complete change of characters. During previous visits, he would ask how his family is doing and want them to take care of themselves, but the last few times he questioned them why they did not find him a lawyer, how come there was no meeting with the lawyer, why there has not been an appeal, or he became furious, blaming his family for forsaking him at a time when President Xi is doing a wonderful job.

He even went on to blame his wife for giving him the wrong size of shoes, when his wife has been buying him shoes for more than 30 years and could not have mistaken his size. Wang believes that there must be people inside the prison who are trying to divide her family while brainwashing him.

Zhang’s oldest daughter, who was able to escape to the U.S. in 2014 with the help from China Aid, pledges that she will continue to reveal the torture and injustice done to her father by the Communist Party of China.

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].