Ye Zhong (叶钟) was a human-rights activist from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, who died in police custody in October 2023. Authorities told relatives that he had suffered a sudden myocardial infarction; family members and friends disputed that account and alleged that he had been tortured. No public medical record or independent investigation has established the cause of death.
Rights advocacy
Reporting by Bitter Winter describes Ye as becoming active after his home was forcibly demolished. He assisted other homeowners seeking compensation and spoke publicly about forced demolition, transparency, human rights and democracy. Reports also describe repeated detention in extrajudicial facilities and psychiatric institutions.
Detention and death
Ye was detained during 2023. On October 16, 2023, according to reporting cited in the case record, the Complaints Office of the Fuzhou Public Security Bureau informed relatives that he had died while in custody in Jin’an District and gave a sudden heart attack as the cause. The exact date of death remains unresolved.
His wife, Li Meiying, was also reported missing after his detention. Her later fate remains unknown; this profile does not make any claim that she died.
Contested circumstances
Family members and fellow activists questioned the official account and alleged mistreatment. Those allegations are reported as allegations, not as independently established findings. Later reporting also described police action against activist He Zongwang after he publicly questioned Ye’s death.
Related records
Memorial: Ye Zhong
Media Profile & Archive: Ye Zhong