(Minghui.org) A 65-year-old woman was diagnosed with breast cancer, stroke, and persistent high blood pressure shortly after being jailed in February 2026 to serve a four-year prison term she was given ten years ago for her faith in Falun Gong. Despite her condition, the authorities refused to release her on medical parole.
Ms. Du Jiqun, of Weifang City, Shandong Province, was originally arrested on February 22, 2016, for hanging up banners that exposed the persecution of Falun Gong. She was forced to shut down her pharmacy during her detention. She appeared in the Gaoxin District Court on August 19, 2016, and was sentenced to a four-year prison term. Due to her poor health, she was denied admission to prison multiple times. As the local police continued to harass her, she was forced to live away from home.
Officers from the Gaoxin District Domestic Security Office broke into Ms. Du’s home on February 24, 2026, and took her to the Weifang City Detention Center. She was admitted to the Shandong Province Women’s Prison two days later. Within about 50 days, she was found to have 13 medical conditions, including breast cancer, cerebral infarction, gastric hemorrhage, and refractory hypertension. She was then admitted to the prison hospital.
When Ms. Du’s family visited her on May 18, 2026, she was in a wheelchair, and appeared extremely thin. She said that she had lost over 22 pounds since being admitted to prison. The side effects of chemotherapy rendered her unable to eat or sleep well, and she was on the verge of a mental and physical breakdown. Her family applied for medical parole, but the authorities denied it, claiming that she had been sentenced twice for practicing Falun Gong and had “escaped” after her sentencing in 2016.
Ms. Du, a former employee of the Fangzi District Education Center, took up Falun Gong in August 1995. She is the eldest of her siblings, who all respect her and seek her advice when facing life’s challenges.
Ms. Du was arrested in late 2001 and taken to a brainwashing center. Officers from the Fangzi District Domestic Security Office extorted 10,000 yuan from her family. After being released, she was forced to live away from home for a month to hide from the police.
Ms. Du was arrested again in late May 2002, and later sentenced to a four-year prison term and fired from her job. While serving time at the Shandong Province Women’s Prison, she was subjected to constant beatings and verbal abuse. The guards forced her to do unpaid labor even when she had a gastric hemorrhage condition. She fainted at the workshop as a result.
Unable to cope with the pressure of the persecution, her husband divorced her while she was still in prison. Adhering to the principles of Falun Gong, she soon forgave him.
After Ms. Du was released, she did odd jobs to make a living. She later opened a pharmacy with help from family and friends. She ran her business with integrity and kindness. She had good relationships not only with her customers but also with her competitors, and was well-respected and recognized in the community.
When her mother and grandmother fell ill, Ms. Du took care of them by herself for at least seven years, doing everything from cooking to cleaning, so her siblings could spend more time on their jobs and with their families.
She also treated her ex-brother-in-law and his wife as her own family members. When her ex-sister-in-law was incapacitated by a stroke two years ago, Ms. Du brought her into her home and cared for her and her grandmother. She encouraged her ex-sister-in-law to stay positive. The younger woman made a quick recovery and was back on her feet in just two months.