(Minghui.org)
Name: Ji WeirongChinese Name: 季维荣Gender: FemaleAge: 60City: BaishanProvince: JilinOccupation: N/ADate of Death: December 27, 2024Date of Most Recent Arrest: September 2021Most Recent Place of Detention: Jilin Province Women’s Prison
To avoid police harassment for her faith in Falun Gong, a 60-year-old woman went into hiding and stayed in an empty house without any heat or other essential supplies. Ms. Ji Weirong developed a lasting high fever and passed away seven days later on December 27, 2024.
Ms. Ji, a native of Baishan City, Jilin Province, moved to Linyi City, Shandong Province a few years ago. She later moved back to Fusong County and stayed with her daughter. Fusong is under the jurisdiction of Baishan.
Ms. Ji went with two other Falun Gong practitioners to distribute informational materials to raise awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong in late September 2021. They were reported to the police and arrested by officers of the Wanliang Town Police Station in Fusong County.
Ms. Ji and one of the practitioners, Ms. Yu Zhi, stood trial at the Jingyu County Court on December 30, 2021. Ms. Ji was sentenced to ten months and Ms. Yu received eight months. Each of them were also fined 2,000 yuan.
The court initially told Ms. Ji’s family that they would let her finish serving time at the Baishan City Detention Center, only to take her to the Jilin Province Women’s Prison in the capital city of Changchun right after she was convicted. It was only when the prison called her family and asked them to make cash deposits for her, that they learned about her secret prison admission.
After Ms. Ji was released, officers from the Fusong County Police Station and residential committee harassed her on a regular basis. She then moved to the municipal area of Baishan.
In mid-December 2024, four officers from Linyi came to harass Ms. Ji. When they didn’t find her, they harassed her sons-in-law instead and stayed at the in-law’s place for a day. To avoid implicating her family members, Ms. Ji went into hiding and stayed in an empty house. Due to the cold weather and lack of heat, she fell sick. When she returned to her daughter’s home after the Linyi police left, she soon developed a fever and died seven days later on December 27, 2024.
Ms. Ji’s daughter later shared with a local Falun Gong practitioner that she was very scared when Ms. Ji was harassed, and she also felt guilty and depressed about Ms. Ji’s death.