(Minghui.org) A restaurant owner in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province lost so much weight in prison that his family only recognized him by his voice. Mr. Yang Jianlu, who is serving an eight-year term for his faith in Falun Gong, also suffered from an unknown medical condition.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Mr. Yang was arrested on December 3, 2019 for raising awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong. The police submitted his case to the Xuanhua District Procuratorate in April 2020. He stood trial at the Xuanhua District Court on September 4, 2020 and was sentenced to an eight-year prison term and a 10,000-yuan fine on March 16, 2021. He was taken to the Jidong Prison in Tangshan City on July 19, 2021, after he appealed and the Zhangjiakou City Intermediate Court ruled to uphold his original verdict.

When Mr. Yang’s family had a video call with him in September 2022, they were shocked to see the once healthy and stout man emaciated to the point of being beyond recognition. They said that they only knew it was him by recognizing his voice.

Mr. Yang’s family also learned from an insider that he had recently fallen ill. They called the prison and confirmed, but the guard who answered the call refused to provide any information about his diagnosis or treatment (if any). The family applied for medical parole for Mr. Yang, but the prison refused to approve it claiming he didn’t qualify for it.

Related reports:

Hebei Man’s Family Files Complaints against Prosecutor Involved in His Wrongful Eight-year Sentence

Hebei Man Tried for His Faith, Daughter and Local Villagers Testify in His Defense

Well-regarded Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Eight Years for His Belief