Stephen McDonell
China correspondent
Australian Matthew Radalj, who spent five years in Beijing No. 2 prison, revealed horrific conditions including forced labor, sleep deprivation, and psychological torture, corroborated by other former inmates. Arrested in January 2020 after a dispute over a phone repair, Radalj signed a false confession under duress, leading to a four-year sentence. He described a manipulative points system for sentence reductions that served as a method of psychological control, further illustrating the harsh realities of the Chinese prison system.
