Zhao Tianhua (赵天华)
Zhao Tianhua (赵天华) is a reported political prisoner in mainland China, listed among in-custody cases in civil-society monitoring.
Zhao Tianhua, born in November 1971, is a Falun Gong practitioner from Guangdong Province. He graduated in 1994 from Guangdong Minzu Institute with a degree in computer and information management and worked as an accountant at a bank in Nanhai. In 2002 he was held in a labor camp for three years for practicing Falun Gong.
In July 2017 he opened a small school in Boluo County, Huizhou, where he taught children language, mathematics, English, and traditional Chinese culture. On May 11, 2021, police raided the school, confiscated Falun Gong books, and detained Zhao together with five others, including his wife and two fellow teachers. His wife and three others were released after 37 days; Zhao and the two teachers remained in custody.
On October 27, 2022, the Huicheng District court in Huizhou sentenced Zhao to seven years in prison and fined him 500,000 yuan. The two teachers received four-year sentences. The specific place where Zhao is being held has not been publicly documented. According to the reports, all three defendants appealed the verdicts.
Sources: Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, Prisoners of Conscience database record for 赵天华; Minghui.org, “广东惠州市赵天华被非法判7年、勒索罚金50万元” (November 9, 2022); 维权网, “中国大陆在押政治犯、良心犯月度报告”, Issue 130 (July 31, 2026) and Issue 131 (August 31, 2026).
Media profile & archive: Zhao Tianhua (赵天华) — Media Profile & Archive