Zhao Hongliang (赵宏亮) — Media Profile & Archive
Person profile: Zhao Hongliang (赵宏亮)
This archive collects the documented media and monitoring records on the case of Zhao Hongliang (赵宏亮), pastor of the Covenant Church (圣约堂) in Xinyi Village, Tianji Subdistrict, Panji District, Huainan, Anhui, detained in February 2025, sentenced to one year and one month, and released in March 2026.
Case chronology
- January 21, 1995 — Covenant Church founded in Xinyi Village; later joins the state-recognized Three-Self system (per the Prisoners of Conscience database).
- Early February 2025 — Nine Christians from the church, including Pastor Zhao Hongliang, are detained amid a tightening of controls on churches during the “Two Sessions.”
- March 5, 2025 — Zhao and three others are placed under criminal detention on suspicion of “intentional destruction of property” over the alleged removal of surveillance cameras at the church entrance; five others are released on bail.
- March 2025 — Radio Free Asia reports the detentions, the forced takeover of the church building, and the authorities’ ongoing harassment of congregants.
- April 29–30, 2025 — China Aid publishes a letter from Zhao’s 15-year-old daughter to her imprisoned father.
- June 12, 2025 — Police transfer the case to the Panji District Procuratorate; defendants expand to six, facing up to three years.
- November 2025 — Trial at the Panji District Court; on November 6, Zhao is sentenced to one year and one month; co-defendants receive one year, six months, and a suspended detention term respectively.
- March 21, 2026 — Zhao is released after completing his sentence (per the Prisoners of Conscience database).
Source records
- Radio Free Asia, Mandarin service (March 7, 2025): report on the detention of Pastor Zhao Hongliang and eight others from the Xinyi Village church, the criminal detention of four, the forced takeover of the church building, and the February 26, 2025 public notice by the Panji District government and religious-affairs bureau.
- China Aid (April 29–30, 2025): “爱与信仰是父亲最坚实的后盾！十五岁女儿寄语狱中的赵宏亮牧师” — publication of a letter from Zhao’s 15-year-old daughter to her imprisoned father; identifies Zhao as the detained pastor of the Huainan church.
- Prisoners of Conscience database (Chinese Human Rights Defenders network): individual record for 赵宏亮 / “Zhao Hongliang” — male, Huainan, Anhui, detained February 2025, charge of intentional destruction of property, held at Huainan City Detention Center, sentenced to one year one month, released March 21, 2026.
Evidentiary notes
- The account of the church’s founding (1995) and its Three-Self affiliation comes from the CHRD record’s case narrative; the revocation of Zhao’s pastoral qualification is reported by RFA.
- The “intentional destruction of property” allegation concerns the removal of surveillance equipment at the church entrance; this is the authorities’ stated basis for detention, reported by RFA and the CHRD record — it is an allegation/charge, presented as such.
- Zhao’s release date of March 21, 2026 is reported by the CHRD record alone and is not independently corroborated. His current whereabouts and activities after release are not documented.