Shi Tingfu (史庭福), 1959–2026 was a human-rights defender from Nanjing, Jiangsu, who died in custody in Xinjiang on September 22, 2026, about four months before the end of a three-year prison sentence.
Detention and sentence
Shi was detained on January 15, 2024, and sentenced in mid-2024 to three years’ imprisonment for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” (寻衅滋事). His term was to run until January 14, 2027. On October 15, 2024, he was transferred to Shahe Prison (沙河监狱), a facility of the First Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang. At sentencing he had documented health conditions including hypertension, pneumonia and asthma. In 2025 he was named a co-recipient of the Cao Shunli Memorial Award.
Death in custody
According to the family’s account reported by Rights Defense Network, the prison telephoned Shi’s son on the evening of September 22, 2026 and said Shi had died that afternoon, at approximately 5 p.m. The prison told the family that the cause was a heart attack and that the body had been taken to a funeral home. No death certificate, medical or resuscitation record, or autopsy report has been made public, so the stated cause of death has not been independently verified.
Family accounts reported by Rights Defense Network and Chinese Human Rights Defenders say that at the most recent family visit Shi appeared to be in good condition and raised no complaints about his health.
Status of information
The circumstances of Shi Tingfu’s death remain incompletely documented. CHRD called for an independent investigation and for authorities to provide his family with full information, including medical records and details of treatment requested or received.
Related pages
Memorial: Shi Tingfu
Media Profile & Archive: Shi Tingfu