Hu Hongtao (胡洪涛) is a preacher at Yueyang Panshi Bible Church (磐石圣经教会), an unregistered house church in Yueyang, Hunan Province. Religious-freedom outlets report that he was detained during coordinated police raids on July 11, 2026.
July 2026 raids and detention
Voice of the Martyrs Korea reports that police raided several church gathering sites and homes on July 11 and took Hu from his home at about 9 p.m. The reporting describes searches, confiscation of religious materials and collection of biometric information from some detainees.
Hu, Pastor Huang Lei and Elder Yang Jianjun were initially placed under administrative detention. Bitter Winter reported that when those terms expired on July 26, the three were transferred to criminal detention on suspicion of “illegal use of information networks.”
Status and evidence limits
Bitter Winter reported on August 25, 2026 that all three remained at the Yueyang First Detention Center and had limited access to legal counsel. No later verified status was located. The alleged offense is reported as the authorities’ stated suspicion and is not presented as a finding of guilt. No official or state-media account of the case was located.
Media Profile & Archive: Hu Hongtao / 胡洪涛 — Media Profile & Archive.