Zhang Ruitong (张瑞童) is a Falun Gong practitioner from Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, who was sentenced to four years and two months in prison in December 2023.
According to reporting by Minghui.org and a record in the Chinese Human Rights Defenders Prisoners of Conscience database, Zhang was arrested on March 29, 2023, at his home in Baotou’s Donghe District, together with fellow practitioners Wang Ying and Meng Lili. Wang and Meng had driven to Zhang’s home to help him; officers from the Tiexi Police Station arrived on a tip from neighborhood committee staff who had been monitoring Zhang. Police interrogated all three through the night, searched their homes, and confiscated Falun Gong books, computers, printers, and informational materials, which were later used as prosecution evidence. Zhang and Wang were held at the Donghe District Detention Center.
The Donghe District Procuratorate indicted the three on September 28, 2023. After hearings in November and December, the Donghe District Court sentenced Zhang Ruitong and Wang Ying each to four years and two months in prison and a 20,000 yuan fine on December 21, 2023; Meng Lili received three years and three months with a 10,000 yuan fine. The reported charge was “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement.” The database record lists Zhang’s release date as May 28, 2027.
Before the 2023 case, Zhang had already spent many years in prison for practicing Falun Gong. Reporting describes him as having suffered broken bones from beatings, having lost his family, and having no one to care for him. After several months in detention in 2023, he was reported to be unable to walk and using a wheelchair, his hair turned gray.
Attribution note: the details above are drawn from reporting by Minghui.org, a Falun Gong–affiliated news outlet, and from the Chinese Human Rights Defenders Prisoners of Conscience database record for Zhang Ruitong. No independent corroboration from official court records, state media, or other outlets was located for this case. The exact total of Zhang’s earlier imprisonment differs between the English-language and Chinese-language Minghui reports. His age and the full charge as stated in court documents are not independently confirmed.
Name note
This profile covers 张瑞童 of Baotou, Inner Mongolia — the prisoner sentenced alongside Wang Ying (王鹰) and Meng Lili in December 2023. It does not cover any other person sharing the romanized name “Zhang Ruitong.”
Sources
- Minghui (Chinese), “内蒙古包头市三名法轮功学员被非法判刑” (December 27, 2023).
- Minghui (English), “Baotou City, Inner Mongolia: Three Locals Sentenced to Prison for Practicing Falun Gong” (December 30, 2023).
- Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) Prisoners of Conscience database — record for 张瑞童 / “Zhang Ruitong” (entered January 17, 2024).
- Rights Defense Network (维权网), Issue 131 monthly report (August 31, 2026) — lists 张瑞童 in the “sentenced to 4 years 2 months” group.
Media archive: Zhang Ruitong (张瑞童) — Media Profile & Archive