Zhao Yajing, a leukemia patient from Shanxi, insisted on petitioning to seek justice for her severe illness suspected to be caused by a vaccine she received. Recently, she was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison by the authorities on charges of “provocation and troublemaking,” leaving her feeling hopeless and stating, “I don’t want to appeal anymore, I will die in prison.” Zhao Yajing’s husband had previously been sentenced to six months in prison for petitioning the National Health Commission of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to a report by Radio Free Asia on May 1st, Zhao Yajing’s husband Wang Hongyi revealed that after hearing the judge’s verdict on her serious illness, she decided not to appeal because she had expressed a desire to die in prison, feeling a lack of hope and being emotionally exhausted from years of petitioning rights which had exacerbated her illness, leading to a state of depression.
The court ruling by the Qixian County Court in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province had been issued over ten days ago, but Wang Hongyi only recently received the verdict. 31-year-old Zhao Yajing once had a stable job and a normal life. After receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in 2020, she experienced severe symptoms weeks later and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Zhao Yajing and her family suspected a connection between the vaccine and her illness, thus initiating a legal complaint seeking a reasonable explanation and compensation.
However, local CCP authorities and health departments deemed Zhao Yajing’s illness as a “coincidence,” stating that there was no direct causal relationship between her illness and the vaccine. Official assistance in the form of basic living allowance and temporary aid was provided, but further accountability was denied. Unhappy with this conclusion, Zhao Yajing and her husband Wang Hongyi repeatedly reported the situation to various departments, including the National Health Commission and the State Council’s petition bureau, seeking help through mailing documents, and online advocacy.
As a result, Zhao Yajing had been warned and summoned multiple times by the local police station. In April of this year, the Qixian County Court in Shanxi Province convicted Zhao Yajing of disrupting public order for actions such as sharing information in a WeChat group, sending accusation materials to the NPC deputies, and protesting in front of the National Health Commission, thereby sentencing her to two years and nine months in prison on charges of provocation and troublemaking.
Sources revealed that during the trial, Zhao Yajing was emotionally distraught and expressed, “I don’t want to appeal, let it be, I will die in prison.” The court records also mentioned her serious illness and worsening condition.
Wang Hongyi mentioned that Zhao Yajing’s health continued to deteriorate: “Currently, she has genetic mutations related to leukemia, with multiple positive test results indicating acute myeloid leukemia in a relapse stage.” He also highlighted that Zhao Yajing required urgent chemotherapy due to the gene mutation, but she was not receiving effective treatment in detention. Despite medical certificates suggesting hospitalization, the court did not approve the application for medical treatment outside prison.
He stated, “She has no hope of survival… She has completely collapsed mentally. We got married in August 2020, and her pre-marital health checks were all normal. She became weak after getting vaccinated, never imagining she would develop such a serious illness.”
Wang Hongyi further disclosed that the couple had incurred massive debts during the prolonged treatment process. Zhao Yajing even requested a refund of the medical examination fees previously paid while in detention to cover household expenses. Medical expenses alone had reached up to 600,000 yuan, far exceeding the government’s financial assistance.
In their pursuit of government compensation, Wang Hongyi and Zhao Yajing continuously petitioned in Beijing. On December 1, 2022, Wang Hongyi was sentenced to six months in prison on charges of provocation and troublemaking, and he was released after serving his term in June of the following year.
The verdict in Zhao Yajing’s case has sparked strong reactions on social media platforms. Many netizens questioned why the authorities used criminal means against an ordinary individual suffering from a serious illness, only trying to seek fair treatment and justice.