55-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Mr. You Haijun from Zhongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, sentenced to five years, suddenly dies in prison just as his sentence is about to end

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On April 24, 2026, this website learned that Mr. You Haijun, a 55-year-old Falun Gong practitioner from Zhongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, who had been sentenced to five years in prison, suddenly died in custody just as his sentence was about to end.

Mr. You Haijun suddenly died on April 13, 2026, at Ningxia Shizuishan Prison. After learning the news, his family rushed to the prison, where prison officials claimed that You Haijun had three illnesses, including coronary heart disease, and had died from illness. Prison personnel forced his family to sign documents and cremated his remains on April 19, while pressuring his family that they could only take away the ashes. Intimidated by the authorities, his family signed and agreed to the cremation. Prison personnel arranged for You Haijun’s remains to be hastily cremated early on April 19 at the Dawukou crematorium in Shizuishan City, Ningxia, after which he was buried in Yinchuan City.

You Haijun: A Falun Gong practitioner from Zhongning County, Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, he was a tower crane operator and had originally been an engineering vehicle driver. Because he practiced Falun Gong, he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in 2013.

On May 16, 2021, You Haijun was again arrested by police from the Zhongning County domestic security brigade and detained and framed. In April 2023, You Haijun was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 10,000 yuan by the Shapotou District People’s Court of Zhongwei City. After he appealed, the Zhongwei Intermediate People’s Court arbitrarily rejected the appeal. On September 2, 2023, You Haijun was transferred to Ningxia Shizuishan Prison, where he has been detained ever since. During his detention, his family once went to the prison to visit him but was arbitrarily refused by the prison. As he neared the end of his sentence and was about to be released, he suddenly died in custody.