Falun Gong Practitioner Mr. Ji Baoshan Dies Four Months After Release

Name: Ji Baoshan
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Address: Bagongli Forth Team, Daluomi Town, Fangzheng County, Heilongjiang Province
Occupation: Unknown
Date of Death: March 16th, 2011
Date of Most Recent Arrest: January 11th, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Hulan Prison
City: Hulan
Province: Heilongjiang
Persecution Suffered: imprisonment, torture, home ransacked, interrogation, detention, denied visitation
Key Persecutors: Han Tiezheng, Fangzheng County Police Department Director; Lu Tongjin, Fangzheng County Domestic Security Division Chief; Bai Wenjie, Fangzheng County Domestic Security Division Deputy Chief; Wang Linchun, officer

Summary

On January 11th, 2009, Mr. Ji Baoshan just returned from picking firewood on the mountain, police arrested him in his family yard. Police put handcuffs and shackles on him, ransacked his home, took his computer, two printers, satellite receiver, and a bundle of wires, three mobile phones, two boom boxes, and Falun Gong books.

After months of suffering and torture, the dying Mr. Ji was finally released on medical parole on October 14th, 2010. Mr. Ji's family was, by this time, penniless. Upon returning home, Mr. Ji, his wife and young child had to live on family and friends' help. He could not recover from his severe health condition and died at 10 a.m. on March 16th, 2011. His son is five, and his daughter is only three. His old parents and wife have no living resources.

Background

Mr. Ji's arrest resulted in a crisis at his home. His wife asked her parents-in-law to take care of her two year old son, then went to the Domestic Security Division to request the release of her husband, while carrying her two months old daughter. She arrived at Fangzheng County Police Department on January 13, but the Domestic Security Chief Lu Tongjin finally agreed to see her after 6-7 days, under one condition, she must help persuade Mr. Ji to accept the brainwashing and write a guarantee statement to stop practising Falun Gong. On January 21st, four days before the Chinese New Year, police thought that letting her tell people how the police were mistreating her family was not looking good for them, and took her and her daughter home.

Her home was so cold, police ransacked it and left a mess. It was her son's first time away from his parents, he cried non-stop for 8 days. Her parents-in-law survived by selling eggs, but the chickens and geese were stolen. Because the chicken and geese were stolen and because they were worried about their son being arrested, they were miserable. Thank goodness Mr. Ji's family treated others very nicely. Village folks all expressed sympathy to them. On February 3rd, 2009, more than a dozen folks from the village went to Fangzheng County Police Department to request the release of Mr. Ji, more than forty villagers signed their names on a petition letter.

Due to the police refusing to release Mr. Ji, his wife had no way out but to beg on the street whilst holding her two month old daughter. She did that by holding a petition letter in front of herself. She told people how her husband was arrested just by trying to be a good person, and how their family has no living resources. Domestic Security Chief Lu Tongjin found her on the street and asked her to go to the police department compound. He first took her home, and withheld her petition letter and stool.

Ms. Shi had no choice but to come back on the street after several days. She walked and told people about her family's tragedy. Officers followed her everywhere, and constantly threatened her. Mr. Ji was secretly sentenced to five years in prison on April 13th, 2009. He appealed, but the Harbin City Middle Court sustained the sentencing on May 13th, 2009. All these mistreatments were not notified to his family.

On June 16th, 2009, Fangzheng County police notified Mr. Ji's family to send clothes and daily necessities for him before he gets transferred. Mr. Ji's mother and wife, with both young children, took all necessary things for him. That was the first time they learnt that Mr. Ji was sentenced to five years in prison, and will soon be held in Hulan City Prison.

Mr. Ji had tuberculosis before cultivating Falun Gong. After starting the practice he soon made a full recovery. He used to weigh 160 pounds, was very healthy, and could carry more than a 200 pound bag on his shoulder. But his family saw him in the Fangzheng County Detention Centre, found his tuberculosis recurred within five months of detention, and that he could not straighten his back, nor could he eat much food. Domestic Security officer Wang Linchun and others brutally beat him during interrogation in order to force him to confess as evidence to sentence him.

Mr. Ji entered Hulan Prison on June 17th, 2009. His wife questioned Officer Wang Linchun, why do you beat my husband? He answered, “So what that I beat him? I wanted to, and you can sue me anywhere.”

Ms. Shi went to talk to Han Tiezheng, the Police Department Director, telling him that Mr. Ji's tuberculosis recurred and needs to be on medical leave. Han Tiezheng was very rude to her and threw his arm away.

By December 22nd, 2009, Mr. Ji's family found him to be as thin as a skeleton, all over his body were scabies and he could not sleep. They requested to have him released on medical parole, but the Prison authorities said it was not severe enough.

On July 10th, 2010, his family visited him in the Hulan Prison again and found him to be very weak, his whole body was in pain, and he vomited anything he tried to eat. The Hulan Prison Hospital issued a dying notice on July 27th, stating his lung has a hole, tumours have grown on his lungs and lymph with no cure. Mr. Ji's family requested to release him, but the prison still delayed by saying local police must allow him to return, everything must go through procedures.

While Ms. Shi went back to Fangzheng County Forestry Bureau to get paper work done, the Prison Administration forced Mr. Ji's mother (over 70 years old) to sign on a statement, that Mr. Ji's life or death has nothing to do with the prison, otherwise they would not process his release. Ten days after this document was signed, the prison still did not release Mr. Ji.

On August 25th, the prison authority said the Prison Bureau did not permit medical release, and said Mr. Ji's condition was still not severe enough. The hospital director Cheng Xingjiang refused to give Mr. Ji's family his medical record. After three months of suffering, the dying Mr. Ji was finally released on medical parole on October 14th.

Mr. Ji's family was penniless. Upon returning home, they had to live on family and friends' help. He could not recover from that severe health condition and died at 10 a.m. on March 16th, 2011. His son is five, and his daughter is only three. His old parents and wife have no living resources.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2011/3/20/237838.html