Australian citizen Matthew Radalj, after serving five years in Beijing No. 2 prison—a facility housing international inmates—has detailed harrowing conditions within the Chinese prison system. His account, corroborated by several anonymous former inmates fearing reprisals against their families in China, describes severe human rights abuses.

Radalj recounts brutal initial treatment, including beatings, sleep deprivation, and coerced confessions following his January 2020 arrest. He alleges wrongful conviction for robbery stemming from a dispute over a mobile phone repair. Despite a four-year sentence, he endured a prolonged “transition phase” in a separate detention center.

He describes unsanitary, overcrowded cells with 24-hour lighting, restricted hygiene, and forced labor. The prison population comprised a diverse group of nationalities, many convicted on drug-related charges. Radalj highlights the systematic use of psychological torture, particularly a manipulative “good behavior points” system seemingly designed to crush inmate morale rather than facilitate early release.

This system, similar to one described by former British prisoner Peter Humphrey, involved arbitrarily applied penalties for minor infractions, preventing inmates from accumulating the points needed for sentence reduction. Former inmates interviewed by the BBC confirmed this practice.

Food deprivation was a common punishment, with meals consisting mainly of meager portions of cabbage and mantou (bread). Even the opportunity to purchase additional rations through prison accounts could be withheld for perceived infractions, such as refusal to participate in prison labor. This labor involved producing goods for companies or Communist Party propaganda materials, with produce from the prison farm consistently destroyed rather than shared with the inmates.

Radalj also details a violent conflict between Nigerian and Taiwanese inmates over control of limited extra food provisions. His involvement led to 194 days in solitary confinement, characterized by minimal light, halved food rations, and profound sensory deprivation, pushing him to the brink of mental collapse.

Radalj meticulously documented his experiences by secretly writing on Covid-19 mask packaging, later smuggling it out of the prison hidden in a jacket. He used this journal to help connect other inmates with their families, many of whom had gone years without contact.

Upon his release, Radalj expresses continued anger and a commitment to assisting other former inmates and their families. His experience highlights profound systemic issues within the Chinese prison system and the need for greater international oversight and protection of human rights.

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Australian citizen Matthew Radalj, after serving five years in Beijing No. 2 prison—a facility housing international inmates—has detailed harrowing conditions within the Chinese prison system. His account, corroborated by several former inmates (many requesting anonymity due to fears of reprisal against family in China), describes severe human rights abuses.

Radalj alleges systematic physical punishment, forced labor, food deprivation, and psychological torture. The BBC’s attempts to obtain comment from the Chinese government have been unsuccessful.

Radalj’s ordeal began with his arrest in January 2020, following a dispute with shopkeepers. He claims he was wrongfully convicted of robbery after being coerced into signing a false confession, hoping to lessen his sentence. Court documents indicate this tactic partially succeeded, resulting in a four-year sentence.

His initial months were spent in a separate detention center, characterized by brutal conditions, including prolonged bans on hygiene, limited toilet access, and overwhelmingly unsanitary facilities. Transfer to the main prison brought no respite; inmates endured cramped cells with 24-hour lighting, communal eating arrangements, and pervasive malnutrition.

The prison population comprised a diverse group of nationalities, with a significant number convicted on drug-related charges. Radalj describes a manipulative “good behavior points system” allegedly used as a tool for psychological torture. Points, ostensibly for reducing sentences, were near-impossible to accumulate sufficiently, with guards readily penalizing minor infractions to thwart progress.

Former inmates interviewed by the BBC echo this sentiment, describing the system as a means to control and demoralize prisoners. Peter Humphrey, a former British prisoner, corroborates the existence of similar systems in other Chinese facilities. The points system was often bypassed, with authorities resorting to other forms of psychological pressure like reducing food rations or limiting family contact.

Radalj and other former prisoners describe meager diets consisting primarily of cabbage and mantou (a plain bread), leading to malnutrition. Opportunities to supplement diets through prison accounts were often revoked as punishment, particularly for refusing prison factory work which involved manufacturing goods or compiling propaganda for the Communist Party. Even produce grown by prisoners on the prison “farm” was routinely destroyed.

Competition for scarce food resources led to conflicts among inmates. Radalj recounts a major brawl involving Nigerian and Taiwanese inmates vying for control of food distribution in the kitchen. His involvement in the incident resulted in 194 days in solitary confinement, further exacerbating his ordeal. Solitary confinement brought its own sensory deprivation and reduced food portions. Radalj describes the psychological toll, including hallucinations and self-talk.

Radalj also notes the staging of propaganda events for visiting officials, such as a demonstration of a supposedly functional computer suite that was unconnected to the internet. Throughout his imprisonment, he covertly maintained a journal using scraps of Covid masks, aided by fellow North Korean prisoners. His daring attempt to smuggle the journal out resulted in a tense confrontation with guards but ultimately succeeded.

Upon his release, Radalj is focused on assisting fellow former inmates and their families, many of whom have been out of contact for years. His experience has instilled in him a deep appreciation for freedom and a commitment to advocating for human rights within the Chinese prison system.

Pagasa is barely big enough for a plane to land, but it stands tall against an armada of Chinese ships.

The tax will affect billions of packages sent to people’s homes which mainly come from China at the moment.

Australia batter D’Arcy Short joins Gloucestershire for their 2025 T20 Blast campaign.

William Goodge ran from Perth to Sydney in 35 days, running the equivalent of 2.5 marathons each day.

The end of the almost-80-year partnership marks a seismic change in the nation’s political landscape.