This archive collects the source record for the September 22, 2026 death in custody of Shi Tingfu (史庭福), a Nanjing human-rights defender serving a three-year sentence in Shahe Prison, Xinjiang.
Source chronology
- September 22, 2026, about 22:30: According to the family’s account reported by Rights Defense Network, the prison telephoned Shi’s son and said Shi had died that afternoon, at about 17:00. The prison stated that the cause was a heart attack and said the body had been taken to a funeral home.
- September 23, 2026: Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) reported the death and said it could not confirm whether inadequate medical care caused it; CHRD called for an independent investigation.
- September 2026: Radio Free Asia and other outlets reported on the death and the family’s questions about the prison’s account.
Source provenance and evidentiary limits
The death date and the prison’s stated cause are reported through the prison’s phone statement to Shi’s son, Rights Defense Network, CHRD and subsequent reporting. No official prison record, death certificate, medical record or autopsy report has been made public. The stated cause is therefore recorded as the prison’s account, not as an independently established medical finding.
Family accounts reported by Rights Defense Network and CHRD say that at the most recent family visit Shi appeared to be in good condition and raised no health complaint. A contrary version claiming his son felt something was wrong at that visit is not used here because it conflicts with those accounts.