Zhou Deyong
Detained Since: April 23, 2021.
Charges: "Organizing and using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
Sentence: 8 years in prison.
Biography: Zhou Deyong is imprisoned for his Falun Gong related activities.
On April 23, 2021, police in Dongying municipality, Shandong province, detained Zhou and raided his home, confiscating Falun Gong materials that reportedly belong to his wife. Zhou's wife is an active Falun Gong practitioner who had spent time previously detained in China for her Falun Gong activities. Authorities reportedly prevented Zhou from meeting with his lawyer and failed to notify Zhou's family members of his detention in a timely manner, in violation of China's Criminal Procedure Law.
On April 22, 2023, the Dongying District Court sentenced Zhou to eight years in prison for "organizing and using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL) and ordered him to pay a fine of 100,000 yuan.
Zhou's wife and son are U.S. residents.
Advocacy Partner: U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Advocate: Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
Updates:
- The cases of Zhou Deyong, Gao Zhisheng, Zhang Shaojie, Wang Yi, Ilham Tohti,, Rahile Dawut, Gulshan Abbas, Ekpar Asat, Wang Bingzhang, Ding Jiaxi, and Xu Zhiyong were highlighted in the State Department's 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices chapter on China (April 22, 2024, U.S. Department of State).