Person profile: Zhang Ruitong (张瑞童)
This archive preserves the documented media and monitoring-organization records for the case of Zhang Ruitong (张瑞童), Baotou City, Inner Mongolia. Reported Falun Gong practitioner. Arrested March 29, 2023; sentenced December 21, 2023, by the Donghe District Court to four years and two months in prison and a 20,000 yuan fine, alongside Wang Ying (same sentence) and Meng Lili (three years and three months, 10,000 yuan fine). Reported charge: “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement.” Held at the Donghe District Detention Center; reported release date May 28, 2027. Reported in custody as of August 31, 2026.
Source chronology
- December 27, 2023 — Minghui (Chinese) reported the case in detail: the March 29 arrests at Zhang’s Donghe District home, the tip from monitoring staff, interrogation without food or water, home searches, indictment on September 28, trial sessions, and the December 21 verdict. The report described Zhang’s earlier years of imprisonment for practicing Falun Gong, broken bones from beatings, and his condition in detention (unable to walk, wheelchair, gray hair). Read the report
- December 30, 2023 — Minghui (English) reported the same case: three Baotou residents sentenced December 21, 2023; Zhang Ruitong and Wang Ying four years and two months plus 20,000 yuan; Meng Lili three years and three months plus 10,000 yuan. Read the report
- January 17, 2024 — Chinese Human Rights Defenders Prisoners of Conscience database record entered for 张瑞童 / “Zhang Ruitong”. Male, taken away March 29, 2023, charge “Using a cult to undermine law enforcement,” sentence 4 years 2 months, release May 28, 2027, Baotou City Donghe District Detention Center. Database search page
- August 31, 2026 — Rights Defense Network (维权网) Issue 131 monthly report listed 张瑞童 in the “sentenced to 4 years 2 months” group (王鹰、张瑞童、那子波), consistent with the 2023 case. Read the report
Conflicts and limitations
- Length of earlier imprisonment: the Chinese Minghui report says thirteen years total; the English Minghui report says twelve years across two prison terms plus an unknown forced-labor term. Both agree he had served long prior terms.
- Number of trial sessions: the CHRD record says three; the Minghui reports describe four hearings (November 17, 27, 28, and December 14).
- The co-defendant’s name appears as both 孟丽丽 and 孟莉丽 across Minghui items.
- The Minghui articles are advocacy-outlet reporting, not independent verification; no official court document or state-media account of this case was located. The charge and procedural details are reported, not independently confirmed.
- A related Minghui report titled “Twice Jailed Man Faces Indictment Again for His Faith” was listed as related reading but its link could not be resolved; it has not been verified.
Related record (context only)
- Minghui library victim record i121409 — covers Wang Ying’s earlier 2018 case (the co-defendant), not Zhang Ruitong’s case; preserved here only as context on the co-defendant. Read the record