(Minghui.org) Mr. Deng Daoheng’s family was notified on April 12, 2024 that he was admitted to a hospital ICU earlier that day, while serving 8 years for practicing Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Mr. Deng’s daughter, who lives in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, caught a flight to Jiazhou Prison in Sichuan Province. His brother, who is also a resident of Kaijiang County, Sichuan Province, took a taxi to the prison. The uncle and niece, however, were not allowed to see Mr. Deng in person. They instead had a video meeting with him a bit past 9 a.m. on April 13, 2024. They noticed that he was just skin and bones and the prison authorities said he was suffering from diabetes complications.
The prison also told the uncle and niece that they recommended that Mr. Deng be released on medical parole and that they were waiting to hear back from the police in Kaijiang County, who were in charge of parole applications.
Mr. Deng’s daughter and brother stayed in Jiazhou for more than one week but still have not seen any Kaijiang police come to discuss his parole situation with the prison. It’s unclear whether the prison has allowed any more virtual visits with Mr. Deng at the time of writing.
Arrest and Sentencing
After graduating from the Sichuan Agriculture University, Mr. Deng landed a job at the Kaijang County Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. With the onset of the persecution of Falun Gong, he was demoted from his managerial position and his pay was cut because he held firm to his faith. He remained dedicated to his work and sometimes worked overtime on weekends until he retired in 2017.
Mr. Deng was arrested on January 13, 2018 and sentenced to eight years with a 20,000 yuan fine on January 9, 2020. The Kaijiang County Court didn’t notify his family of his trial or give them a copy of his verdict.
During Mr. Deng’s appeal process, the Dazhou City Intermediate Court refused to provide any updates on his case despite repeated requests from his family and lawyer. The court also used various excuses to block the lawyer from reviewing the case file.
Mr. Deng’s lawyer was notified at the end of April 2020 that his appeal case had “concluded.” The lawyer was shocked because he had not been made aware of his appeals hearing (if any). The intermediate court claimed that they had a court-appointed lawyer represent Mr. Deng. Again, his family wasn’t given a copy of the ruling.
Mr. Deng was admitted to the Jiazhou Prison around 3 a.m. on May 29, 2020. Due to the pandemic and some special family circumstances, his family was unable to visit him during the first four years he was imprisoned. When they finally got to see him (virtually) on April 13, 2024, they were heartbroken to see an extremely emaciated man.
Related Reports:
Retired Marketing Manager Sentenced to Eight Years for His Faith
Sichuan Resident Faces Ten Years in Prison for Practicing Falun Gong
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