Additional Name(s): 周德勇

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: China

Religion or Belief: Falun Gong

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: 8 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: April/23/2021

Date of Sentencing: April/22/2023

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Possession of Religious Materials Religious Activity

Nature of Charges: Cult

Zhou Deyong

Extra Bio Info:

Zhou Deyong is imprisoned for his religious activity.

On April 23, 2021, authorities in Dongying municipality, Shandong province detained Zhou and raided his home, confiscating Falun Gong materials that reportedly belong to his wife.

On May 31, 2021, authorities arrested Zhou on charges of "organizing and using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL) and brought him to the Binhai PSB Detention Center in Dongying District, Dongying.

On April 22, 2023, Dongying District Court authorities sentenced Zhou to eight years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of 100,000 yuans. 

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) advocates for Zhou as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.

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