Jilin Man Released in Critical Condition, Dies One Month Later

A 61-year-old man in Qian'an County wasn't released on medical parole until he was in critical condition. He died one month later.

Mr. Yang Baosen was arrested on December 23, 2008, for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime. He was interrogated with torture at the local police station, and his toenails came off as a result.

He was sentenced to ten years in prison in late March 2009 in a secret trial by the Qian'an County Court. His family appealed the sentence, but the local higher court upheld the verdict without a hearing.

Mr. Yang was admitted to Gongzhuling Prison on May 6, 2009, and had since been subjected to various forms of torture.

After nine long years of abuse, Mr. Yang developed a lung infection, diabetic ketoacidosis, and atrophy of the cerebellum. He was rushed to the hospital on February 27, 2018, and released on medical parole on March 7. He died on April 7.

Mr. Yang's Final Days
Mr. Yang's family was first informed by the prison on February 27, 2018, that he had lost consciousness and was to be sent to a hospital for treatment.

When Mr. Yang's family arrived at the hospital, he had awakened and had an IV attached. He was emaciated and very weak. He had difficulty eating. He was unable to sit up or walk by himself. He also needed others' help to use the restroom. Three guards supervised him in the hospital.

While the hospital performed brain and lung CT scans, the authorities rushed to take him back to the prison before the scan results came out.

Mr. Yang's family later learned from a doctor that his condition was life-threatening. The CT scans indicated damage on the white matter regions of the brain. His cerebellum had atrophied, and there were holes and fluid in his lungs. In addition, he was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of diabetes.

Mr. Yang's family visited him in the prison hospital the next day, February 28. He had a fever and was receiving an injection. His face was flushed, and he stammered.

The concerned family members found the head of the prison hospital, Li Chong, and requested that they release him on medical parole. Li refused to release Mr. Yang and said that his condition did not qualify for medical parole.

He also said that because the prison hospital was providing him with medical treatment, they would not be responsible for him if an unfortunate event were to occur.

Mr. Yang continued to deteriorate over the next few days. He was sent to the hospital for another emergency chest CT scan on March 3, 2018. The results were consistent with previous scans–he had a severe lung infection, and there were holes and fluids accumulating in his lungs. He was unable to eat and could only have liquid food injected intravenously.

The authorities initially scheduled him for release on medical parole on March 5, but he wasn't allowed to be picked up to go home until March 7. He was unable to walk and had trouble talking when he was released.