Stroke Patient Denied Medical Parole, Dies in Prison While Serving Time for His Faith

A Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province resident died less than nine months after he began serving time for his faith in Falun Gong at a prison in Yunnan Province.

The 65-year-old man suffered several strokes and had dangerously high blood pressure, but was repeatedly denied medical parole, for not renouncing his faith, a mind-body discipline that has been persecuted by the communist regime since 1999.

Mr. Liao Jianfu's death was preceded by two prior prison terms totalling 10.5 years, between 2002 and 2013.

Mr. Liao was last arrested in October 2016 for putting up informational posters about Falun Gong. Three other practitioners who were with him, Mr. Song Nansu (70), Mr. Fu Wende (70), and Mr. Zhou Fuming (in his sixties), were also arrested.

The four practitioners appeared at the Yuping County Court on March 22, 2018. They were frequently interrupted by the judge as they read their defence statements. The judge then sentenced Mr. Liao to four years in prison, Mr. Song and Mr. Fu to three-and-a-half years, and Mr. Zhou to two years.

Mr. Liao, Mr. Fu, and Mr. Zhou were transferred to the Yunnan Province No. 1 Prison, and Mr. Song to Yunnan Province No. 2 Prison on August 21, 2018.

While imprisoned, Mr. Liao had cerebral haemorrhaging on multiple occasions, but prison authorities refused to release him on medical bail.