Guangdong Senior Dies Weeks After Being Released in Critical Condition (Graphic Photo)
(Minghui.org)
Name: Yao JingjiaoChinese Name: 姚静娇Gender: FemaleAge: 84City: JieyangProvince: GuangdongOccupation: unknownDate of Death: November 20, 2024Date of Most Recent Arrest: May 5, 2023Most Recent Place of Detention: Guangdong Province Women’s Prison
A woman from Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, died on November 20, 2024, just weeks after she was released on parole in critical condition. Ms. Yao Jingjiao was only a month shy of her 85th birthday.
Ms. Yao was returned to her hometown by ambulance on October 25, 2024, after she became critically ill while serving a three-year term in Guangdong Province Women’s Prison in the capital city of Guangzhou for her faith, Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
In her final weeks, Ms. Yao faced frequent harassment from the authorities. Even eight days before her passing, her family was ordered to take a picture of her to submit to the authorities to see if she was well enough to be re-admitted to prison.
Ms. Yao’s wrongful conviction stemmed from her initial arrest on June 14, 2020. She was released on bail the next day. After she was sentenced to three years and fined 30,000-yuan in November 2022, she remained on bail until May 5, 2023, when the Rongcheng District Domestic Security Division took her for a physical exam. She had high blood pressure, but the police still took her to the Jiedong District Detention Center, where she was held until she was transferred to Guangdong Province Women’s Prison in early July 2023. Due to her persistent high blood pressure and declining health, the prison put her in its in-house hospital the day she was admitted.
When Ms. Yao broke her right leg on September 9, 2024, the prison did not notify her family of her condition until mid-September. Her loved ones were told to come to the prison to sign a consent form so she could be operated on. They went but were not allowed to see her. After they signed the form, the prison said the surgery had to be canceled due to Ms. Yao’s weak physical condition.
In mid-October 2024, the prison called the family again and asked them to seek approval from the Jieyang City 610 Office to have Ms. Yao released on parole. Her family sprang into action, but it took the 610 Office a week to approve the request. The prison, however, did not release Ms. Yao immediately. They extorted a total of 30,000 yuan from her family over three occasions before finally agreeing to release her on parole.
Early on October 25, 2024, the prison arranged for an ambulance to drive Ms. Yao to the Jieyang City Chinese Medicine Hospital. Her family members, who were waiting at the hospital entrance, were shocked to see an almost unrecognizable Ms. Yao being carried out of the ambulance. She was in a near-vegetative state with her mouth agape. She could move her eyes but she could not speak.
Ms. Yao Jingjiao before she was incarcerated most recently
Ms. Yao Jingjiao when she was released on parole
The guard who escorted her said her right leg still had not healed and she had multiple organ failure. He announced that the prison was now formally turning her over to her family and ordered them to sign a waiver releasing the prison from any responsibility should anything happen to Ms. Yao. When they refused to sign, the guard threatened to take her back to prison, so they gave in and signed it. They then rushed her into the hospital.
After days in the ICU, Ms. Yao still showed no signs of improvement. On the afternoon of November 4, 2024, she was unable to eat and her breathing was very shallow. Hospital officials did not want her to die in their care and discharged her that day.
Ms. Yao regained mental clarity after returning home, thanks to her family’s meticulous care. However, she choked on food and water because she had difficulty swallowing, leaving her thirsty and hungry, which worsened her condition. It is unclear why her family was unable to get her an IV or a feeding tube.
Despite her condition, the 610 Office instructed village officials to harass her at home and take photos of her. On November 12, they called her family and ordered them to take a picture of her to submit to the authorities. She died eight days later.
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