Zhou Zixian (周子闲)
Zhou Zixian (周子闲) is reported to be a 70-year-old resident of Hengyang, Hunan Province and a Falun Gong practitioner, serving an eight-year prison sentence imposed on December 31, 2025 by the Zhengxiang District Court, with a 30,000-yuan fine — the longest sentence of the 11 co-tried practitioners; the Hengyang Intermediate Court rejected their appeals in April 2026. The Rights Defense Network’s (维权网) monthly political-prisoners report (Issue 131, August 31, 2026) lists him in its 8-year-sentence band, confirming he remains in custody serving his term as of that date.
The case
In late March to early April 2024, Zhou Zixian was among 11 local Falun Gong practitioners detained by units of the Hengyang public security bureau. On July 5, 2024, the 11 cases were transferred to the Zhengxiang district procuratorate. On August 5 the procuratorate returned the cases for supplementary investigation; the bureau resubmitted on September 5; on September 30 the procuratorate indicted the 11 to the Zhengxiang district court.
On April 15, 2025, the Zhengxiang district court tried the 11 practitioners together. Defense lawyers argued for acquittal. On December 31, 2025, the court sentenced Zhou Zixian to 8 years’ imprisonment and imposed a 30,000-yuan fine — the longest sentence of the 11. The co-tried practitioners were Hu Xiaoyun (胡晓云, 7 years), Li Yuwen (李玉文, 4 years), Fu Suilan (符穗兰, 3 years), Wang Yuanxiu (王元秀, 2 years), Yin Chaoqun (尹超群) and Tang Hengyan (唐衡艳, 3 years each, suspended 5 years), Deng Kunhe (邓坤河) and Zhou Junhui (周俊慧, 3 years each, suspended 4 years), Cao Chenhui (曹晨辉, 2 years 6 months, suspended 3 years), and Jiang Zhen (蒋珍, 2 years, suspended 2 years), each with fines.
The practitioners appealed; in April 2026 the Hengyang intermediate court rejected the appeal and upheld the sentences.
Status and evidentiary limits
As of August 31, 2026, the Rights Defense Network’s Issue 131 report lists Zhou Zixian in its 8-year-sentence band with an in-custody classification. No release date has been stated in any public source; none is given here. The case details come from the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG / 追查国际), an advocacy organization; no official court record has been located, and no second independent media report beyond the two WOIPFG notices was found — all case facts are attributed to WOIPFG, whose evaluative framing of the proceedings is the source’s characterization, not independently established fact. The Chinese form 周子闲 is used because four anchors converge: its exact positional match of “Zhou Zixian” in the Chinese edition’s roster sections (the “Sentenced to 8 years” group and the surname index), the roster’s 8-year classification matching the 8-year sentence reported by WOIPFG, and a WOIPFG case notice naming 周子闲（男，70岁） with the same full procedural record. The prison where he is serving his sentence, his health and family details, and sentence start and end dates beyond the 8-year term imposed December 31, 2025 are not established and are not inferred. He must not be merged with 周先旺 (Zhou Xianwang — unrelated former Wuhan official), 周书府 (a Taiwan figure), or “Zhao Zixian” (赵子贤 — pen name of a different person) on pinyin or name similarity alone.
Media Profile & Archive: Zhou Zixian (周子闲) — Media Profile & Archive