Anhui man forcibly locked in mental hospital for 22 days to defend right to survival.

Anhui Province resident Zhang Po firmly opposes being forcibly sent to a psychiatric hospital and subjected to 22 days of forced treatment without the consent of the prosecutor’s office or the court, as his family also opposes.

Recently, Zhang Po, a resident of Huainan City, Anhui Province, sought help, stating that he was forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital by the local public security authorities in June 2024, where he underwent forced examination and treatment for 22 days, during which his freedom was restricted, and his family was prohibited from visiting or taking him home. Zhang Po later requested an explanation from the local public security authorities, but to no avail.

According to a report by DaXiang News on April 3, in Huainan City, Anhui Province, Zhang Po, the person seeking help, was interviewed. The scars from his work-related injury many years ago are still visible on his body.

In 1999, after graduating, Zhang Po was assigned to Huaihe Energy Holdings Group as a coal miner. That year, while working underground, he was hit by a runaway mining cart and was subsequently assessed as a level five disabled person, essentially losing his ability to work, and began receiving disability benefits, receiving over 1300 RMB (Chinese Yuan) per month.

Zhang Po said: “Around 2010, the minimum living allowance in Huainan City was about 260 RMB per person per month, which was enough for a family of three for daily living with my disability benefits. By 2020, the minimum living allowance in Huainan City had increased with inflation to about 680 RMB per person per month, but after deducting various benefits, I was only receiving a little over 1900 RMB, which was not enough to support my family’s daily life.”

In previous years, Zhang Po had raised the issue to Huaihe Energy Holdings Group, requesting an increase in disability benefits. However, there was a disagreement between the unit and Zhang Po on the specific regulations governing the benefits standard, and the unit did not agree to his request to increase the benefits. Zhang Po, dissatisfied, went to the relevant departments multiple times to express his situation and even posted videos online to draw attention to his demands.

“I did this to make the unit leaders pay attention and seriously consider my demands,” Zhang Po said.

On June 2, 2024, Zhang Po once again went to the Huaihe Energy Holdings Group’s gate, holding a sign with contents such as “real name reporting,” and filmed a video. During this time, there was a dispute with the unit’s staff who tried to stop him, which led Zhang Po to call 110 for police assistance.

Personnel from the Longyu Police Station of Huainan Municipal Public Security Bureau arrived at the scene and took Zhang Po back to the police station for questioning.

Zhang Po recounted that after the questioning, the police from the Longyu Police Station of Huainan Municipal Public Security Bureau took him in a car and informed him that he would be taken to the Fourth Hospital of Huainan for a psychiatric evaluation. Zhang Po strongly objected, but the investigating police still took him to the hospital’s psychiatric department.

The admission records of the Fourth People’s Hospital of Huainan showed that Zhang Po was admitted on June 2, 2024, and discharged on June 24, staying in the hospital for 22 days. The admission record also indicated: “Discharge must be handled by the police station, and family visits are not allowed.”

Inside the psychiatric ward of the Fourth People’s Hospital of Huainan, where Zhang Po spent 22 days, the doors were closed with metal gates.

“I endured over twenty days of humiliation inside. I couldn’t have a phone, and even my belt and shoelaces were taken away,” Zhang Po said. “They insisted I take medication, and I had to open my mouth and stick out my tongue for examinations. If I refused, they would restrain me.”

Zhang Po recalled that he couldn’t leave the ward without permission from the hospital and the doctors, nor could he make contact with the outside world. When he first arrived at the hospital, he resisted, but the doctors restrained him to the bed for about three to four hours. He had no choice but to follow medical advice, undergo various examinations, and take medication on time.

Zhang Po mentioned that though almost a year had passed, he still couldn’t forget the fear and oppression he experienced being locked in the psychiatric ward.

After 22 days, Zhang Po was taken out of the hospital by police from the police station and administratively detained for 8 days on charges of “provoking trouble.”

Zhang Po stated that despite his and his family’s strong objections, he was sent to the psychiatric department for forced examination and treatment for 22 days, which he found unacceptable.

“During this period, my son was preparing for his high school entrance exam. I requested multiple times to be allowed to go out for a few days, so I could come back after my son finished the test. My wife also pleaded, but our requests were denied. I feel sorry for my son,” Zhang Po said, his eyes moist.

Zhang Po’s wife also mentioned that when she received the notification from the police station about Zhang Po being sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment, she explicitly opposed it. She stated that they had lived together for decades, and Zhang Po’s behavior had always been normal. Family, friends, and neighbors could testify that Zhang Po did not show any signs or tendencies of mental illness.

According to a report, a judicial appraisal institution in Anhui provided a forensic psychiatric diagnosis analysis in Zhang Po’s case, which indicated that he had an IQ of 117 and showed no symptoms of hallucinations, delusions, or other psychiatric symptoms, excluding traumatic brain disorders. The analysis concluded that Zhang Po had complete recognition of and control over his illegal behavior.

Consultations with professionals about the appraisal results indicated that Zhang Po was not a psychiatric patient.

The on-site surveillance footage and the police station’s questioning transcripts showed that at that time, Zhang Po exhibited no signs of mental abnormalities and did not engage in behavior harmful to himself or others.