I Visited Hu Jia Today

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I Visited Hu Jia Today
by  Zeng Jinyan

Yesterday morning I received a telephone call from the prison, notifying me that on Wednesday September 24 I could go to Tianjin City's Chaobai Prison Hangu Qinghe Work Farm to visit my husband Hu Jia. Because the prison is so far away, and I have my baby and parents to take care of, and it was raining, and it would be dark when I returned and I feared it would be unsafe, I requested to switch the date to Thursday September 25. They agreed.

The police had informed me that from now on my visits to see Hu Jia would be coordinated between me and the prison officials directly. As long as I informed the police, they would no longer play go-between or require accompanying me to the prison. Yesterday evening I picked up Hu Jia's mother. This morning at 8:20 we left home, and arrived at the prison at 10:40. Then we waited there for the visit to be arranged. We heard the prison officials talking about Hu Jia and them making their arrangements. At 2:20 p.m. we left the prison and arrived back home at 5 p.m. Altogether we traveled 338 kilometers, and spent 160 yuan on highway tolls. The new highway makes the trip faster, but it is still very tiring for one person to drive the whole way.

The prison staff explained to me that every month between the 10th and 23rd days is when the prison usually arranges family visits, so it is very busy at that time. Hu Jia's visit qualifies as a special circumstance. From now on you can plan to come every month between the 23rd day and the next month's 10th day, we will tell you precisely when in advance.

Hu Jia asked me how I was doing. I said that I was doing a little bit better than before. He encouraged me to invite friends over to our apartment socialize, but I told him that I just cannot do that now. He asked me to send his regards to our friends. Halfway through our visit he raised some issues that the prison guards would not allow us to discuss.

From Hu Jia and the prison guards I learned that because Hu Jia had spoken about human rights with the other prisoners, on August 13 he was placed in hand and foot shackles and held in solitary confinement for 24 hours. After this he was subjected to special isolation for nine days. The other prisoners confidentially read to him from books and periodicals during this period. From the time he was first jailed until now, four other prisoners have had the responsibility of being with Hu Jia at all times and reporting on his actions to the authorities. Hu Jia said that if not for these four "weak among the weak," causing him to lose monthly work points, he would not act out.

The prison staff maintain that they do not beat prisoners, but rather use truncheons under special circumstances to "teach recalcitrant prisoners specific lessons." The prison personnel also said that a certain international human rights organization (I cannot remember the specific name) had written a letter to the prison warden, asking questions about Hu Jia's circumstances. The prison warden gave the letter to Hu Jia and told him to answer the questions himself. The prison personnel also told me that because my letters to Hu Jia touched on some infelicitous aspects of society, that the letters would be returned to me. They urged me to write about more felicitous aspects of society in my letters to my husband, so as to expedite his return to a normal life in society. Hu Jia also told me that because his letters to me and our family did not accord with the prison's requirements regarding content, that he was required to change and rewrite them, often taking eight hours to complete a single letter.

The prison personnel maintained that out of consideration for his health, that they had created the most comfortable physical circumstances possible for Hu Jia. Most recently he had been thinning out seedlings and working on trees, and is now digging ditches. Hu Jia said that although he is very tired, he likes doing this physical labor. In discussing hishealth and his diet, the prison personnel said that every six months they give Hu Jia a physical examination. Hu Jia also said that the prison has a special "vegetarian" diet, but that they use eggs and fry them with scallions, and therefore he just eats instant noodles (Buddhism considers scallions, garlic and ginger as forbidden foods, and especially forbids the eating of onions). I can see that his teeth are graying, and worry that his is becoming anemic. I encouraged him to request that the prison officials provide him multi-vitamins and to take care of his basic health.

The prison officials said that they'd hoped this time Hu Jia could see our baby. I felt very sad because they had not told me this in advance, and my requests to bring our baby in the past have been rejected. I didn't bring her because it is a long drive and she would be hard to look after while driving, and I regret that my husband missed a chance to hold his daughter.

The prison officials said that they read my blog, and that if anyone tried to influence their prison management, Hu Jia would suffer the most severe consequences.

Zeng Peiyan, Thursday September 25, Bobo Freedom City, Tongxian, Beijing

今天见到胡佳

昨天上午监狱工作人员给我打电话，通知我２４号去天津汉沽清河农场潮白监狱探视胡佳。鉴于路途遥远，家里老的老小的小，天也下雨，来不及做当日出行准备，担心回来的时候已经天黑行车不安全，因而与监狱工作人员商量可否２５日去探视，监狱同意了。

国保警察在电话里说，以后会见胡佳的事情由监狱和我们家属直接沟通，届时知会国保一声，他们不再做中间联络并不再陪同会见。昨天傍晚接了胡佳母亲，今天早上８点２０分从家出发，１０点４０分到达，然后等待监狱安排会见，听取监狱工作人员对胡佳的看法并就一些问题进行沟通，下午２点２０分开始返回，５点钟回到家，往返行程一共３３８公里，高速公路费一共１６０元（去时提前出了高速７５元，回来时８５元）。走的是新开通的京津快速，因而比以前走的京津塘高速路途短，时间也减少了些。只是一个人开车往返还是很疲倦。

监狱工作人员解释说，每月的１０日至２３日，是监狱犯人正常会见时间，监狱会很忙。胡佳的会见属于特殊会见，以后都将安排在每月的２３日至下月的１０日之间，届时会提前通知家属。

胡佳问我的状况，我说较之前段时间有一些改善。他让我邀请朋友到家玩，我说现在做不到。他说向朋友们问好。中途他提了一些事情，被狱警打断禁止谈论。

从监狱工作人员和与胡佳的交谈中了解到，由于胡佳在犯人间传播不利监狱管理的人权言论，８月１３日被关禁闭一天，铐手铐和脚镣关在禁闭室２４小时，随后反思９天。其他犯人禁止借阅报刊书籍给胡佳阅读。从入狱至今，每天２４小时有４个犯人负责对胡佳“看护”和汇报动向。胡佳说，为了不使这４个弱势中的弱势者失掉每个月５分的记分，他也不敢“乱来”。

监狱说，监狱工作人员绝对不会殴打犯人，只会在一定条件下使用警棍等戒具。监狱工作人员还说，有国际某人权机构（我当时没有记住准确的名字）给监狱长写信，就胡佳的提出一些问题要求答复，监狱今天已经把信件转给胡佳，要求胡佳亲自答复。同时监狱工作人员告诉我，由于我的家信有“不利”信息，将此封家信退还给我，希望家属在谈论社会情况时，多讲有利于改造的内容，以便胡佳早日回归社会过正常生活。胡佳告诉我，由于他的家信经常有不符合审查规定的内容，经常要根据监狱的规定重新修改，重新抄写，要花很多时间甚至长达８小时来完成一封家信。

监狱说，考虑到胡佳的身体状况，给胡佳安排了监狱内最轻松的体力活。前一段时间胡佳参加的劳动是间苗和给树上白，下车间拖地，现在是挖沟。胡佳说虽然很累但是他很喜欢这些劳动。谈及饮食和健康，监狱说每半年会给胡佳做一次体检，胡佳说监狱有专门的素食餐，只可惜鸡蛋是用葱花炒的他无法吃，这种情况下他就吃方便面（佛教里葱姜蒜是大荤，严格素食者不吃葱）。我看见他牙龈苍白，担忧他贫血营养不良，请他向监狱申请购买复合维生素以维持基本健康。

监狱工作人员说这一次本来打算让胡佳抱一抱宝宝。我感到非常遗憾，因为没有事先得到可以让胡佳抱宝宝的信息（以前见面时有要求，但被拒绝了），而宝宝现在非常淘气捣蛋，路途遥远，我要开车无法照顾她，因而此次会见没有带上宝宝，错失了一次让胡佳抱抱孩子的机会。

监狱工作人员说，他们读我的博客，他们不希望任何人试图影响监狱的管理，否则胡佳会受到最大的压力。

２００８年９月２５日于ＢＯＢＯ自由城