In brief
Former prisoner Matthew Radalj shares his harrowing experience of imprisonment in China, detailing the brutal realities of life in Beijing’s No. 2 prison, including torture, malnutrition, and psychological manipulation.
Australian Matthew Radalj, who spent five harrowing years in Beijing's No. 2 prison, is speaking out about the shocking reality faced by many international inmates in Chinese facilities. With memories of constant sleep deprivation, forced labor, and disregard for hygiene, he describes a prison environment that many would find hard to endure. Radalj, who now lives outside of China, recalls his wrongful conviction stemming from a dispute over mobile phone repairs, which led to severe physical and psychological tortures.Upon his arrest on January 2, 2020, Radalj reports being beaten for two consecutive days while deprived of food and water. In an attempt to reduce his prison time, he signed a false confession to robbery. Court records confirm that he was sentenced to four years, but his tumultuous journey began with a brutal "transition phase" marked by horrific conditions.According to Radalj, prisoners experienced unsanitary living quarters, where they were prohibited from cleaning themselves for months, forced to endure filthy toilets, and subjected to the constant presence of bright lights. The inmates, comprised mainly of Africans and Pakistani nationals alongside others from various countries, faced additional mental strains, including an arbitrarily administered "good behaviour points system." This system, rather than providing an incentive for good conduct, became a tool for psychological manipulation.While held in Beijing’s No 2 prison, he and his fellow inmates received inadequate meals, consisting primarily of cabbage and plain bread, which left them malnourished. Alongside this, the opportunity to purchase better food was often stripped away arbitrarily by prison authorities, leading to desperate measures among inmates.Painful human interactions were common as competition for food and resources led to tensions and fights. Radalj himself found himself in solitary confinement for 194 days, a time which he describes as damaging to his mental state, forcing him to grapple with his own thoughts for almost half a year.As he navigated through this grim prison life, Radalj kept a hidden journal using scraps of material, a feat made precarious due to the constant surveillance by guards. Upon his release on October 5, 2024, Radalj managed to sneek his writings out, a collection of notes that documented his traumatic experiences along with messages for other inmates' families.After reuniting with family in Australia, Radalj has devoted himself to raising awareness about the plight of those he left behind. He has begun contacting former inmates to help connect them to their families and advocate for proper aid from their embassies. Though Radalj acknowledges the lingering anger and trauma from his experience, he expresses a deep appreciation for freedom and a commitment to advocating for others still enduring the incarcerated environment he escaped.
