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Research record. Last verified August 31, 2026. Facts, attributed statements, and unresolved claims are distinguished below. No photograph is reproduced because reuse rights have not been established.
Zhao Haitong is a Chinese democracy and human-rights advocate. Chinese Human Rights Defenders reports that he was imprisoned during the 1989 crackdown and later took part in public advocacy against censorship and corruption and supported detained activists.
In 2014, authorities convicted Zhao of “inciting subversion of State power” and imposed a 14-year prison term plus five years’ deprivation of political rights. The most recent authoritative status record reviewed for this profile—a joint communication by United Nations Special Procedures dated February 28, 2025—states that he was serving the sentence in Wusu Prison in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The UN communication reported allegations that Zhao’s health had deteriorated during imprisonment and said that earlier requests for further information had not received a substantive answer. A 2025 response from the Mainland Chinese Communist Government supplied court and appeal details but did not provide an individualized current medical assessment for Zhao. This profile therefore makes no medical diagnosis and does not infer a release date.
Why this case matters
Zhao’s case concerns the criminal punishment of peaceful political expression, association, anti-corruption advocacy, and support for other detained citizens. The Free China Movement calls for his immediate and unconditional release, access to independent legal counsel and medical care, regular family contact, and restoration of his civil and political rights.
Free China 