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 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.
"Zhou Deyong" Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
"Zhou Deyong" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
"Senior Geological Engineer and Father of U.S. Resident Sentenced to Eight Years and Fined 100K Yuan" Minghui