Prominent Human Rights Defender Ms. He Fangmei Transferred Again to Luoyang Women's Prison

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On April 17, 2026, this outlet learned that prominent human rights defender Ms. He Fangmei had again been transferred to Luoyang Women's Prison.

He Fangmei's husband, Mr. Li Xin, reported today: “Today is Friday, and it is once again a day when visits are permitted. I went to Zhengzhou Women's Prison early in the morning, only to be told that He Fangmei had been transferred and moved to Luoyang Women's Prison. They gave me a contact number, but I could not get through when I called. I then searched online for another number and called it; someone answered. A staff member said that new inmates are not allowed to receive visitors and that I could only wait for notification. Based on my experience in prisons, there is definitely something fishy here. They are deliberately making things difficult for He Fangmei and are using indirect means to prevent visits.”

Biography of He Fangmei: Born on October 8, 1985, she is from Huixian, Xinxiang City, Henan Province. Her online name is “Thirteenth Sister.” Her occupation is unknown. She is the founder of the “Vaccine Babies' Home” rights-defense group, a human rights defender, and a detained rights defender in China.

On March 23, 2018, after her daughter, who was only 1 year and 10 months old, became paralyzed all over after receiving the DTaP vaccine, and after her requests for help and complaints to multiple parties were rejected, she began seeking redress at successive levels. Later, after similar incidents of vaccine-related harm to babies occurred in many places, she joined in forming the “Vaccine Babies' Home” rights-defense group to jointly call for attention from the authorities and reasonable compensation and medical treatment; however, the authorities repeatedly delayed the matter, forcing her to petition in Beijing, where she was repeatedly arrested and suppressed. On March 5, 2019, during the Chinese Communist Party's Two Sessions, she went with parents of children harmed by vaccines from various places to Beijing's Wangfujing to raise donations for children with disabilities, and was consequently administratively detained for 15 days by the Huixian police in Xinxiang City. On March 21, the Huixian police again criminally detained her on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and she was held at the Xinxiang City Detention Center in Henan Province. Because she consistently refused to admit guilt, on April 26, 2019, the Huixian Procuratorate in Xinxiang City approved her arrest on the same charge. She was subsequently indicted on six charges, with a recommended sentence of one year. On November 15 of the same year, her case formally went to trial at the Huixian Court in Henan Province. On January 10, 2020, the Huixian Procuratorate withdrew the prosecution on the grounds that the “facts were unclear and the evidence was insufficient,” after which she was released as not guilty.

On May 18, 2020, because she repeatedly spoke out to call for national legislation to resolve vaccine-related problems and urged the United Nations to pay attention to China's vaccine problems, among other things, she was again subjected to enforced disappearance in Beijing.

After her release, on October 2, 2020, because the local government obstructed her from taking her daughter, who had been disabled by a vaccine, to receive medical treatment, she protested by splashing ink on the Huixian government signboard and was administratively detained. She later protested again by throwing paint on the Huixian Municipal Government on October 9.

On October 14, 2020, after it became known that she, her husband, their then six-year-old son, and their three-year-old daughter with disabilities had been taken away by the Huixian police, she was placed under residential surveillance at a designated location at Gongji Hospital in Xinxiang City on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” for 18 months, during which time she gave birth to a younger daughter; on March 23, 2021, she was formally arrested by the Huixian Municipal police on suspicion of “bigamy” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” while her husband, Li Xin, was subjected to enforced disappearance, and the whereabouts of their son and daughter with disabilities were also unknown. In April 2022, after her defense lawyer became involved, it was learned that the first-instance trial in her case had already been held, but there had still been no result and her relatives had not been notified. On October 23, 2024, her case was again adjudicated at first instance at the Huixian Court in Henan Province, and she was ultimately sentenced to five years and six months in prison for “bigamy and picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Dissatisfied, she appealed. On January 21, 2025, it was learned that, following a second-instance ruling by the Xinxiang Intermediate Court in Henan Province, the original judgment against her was upheld, with her sentence running until January 1, 2027.

It is reported that her husband, Li Xin, formerly an editor at Nandu Online, was also wrongfully sentenced to five years on an unspecified charge for engaging in rights defense with her, and is serving his sentence at Jiaozuo Prison in Henan. Their son was sent by the authorities to live in foster care with villagers. Their two young daughters were initially held at Gongji Hospital, but were transferred elsewhere in early April 2024, and their family has been unable to contact them ever since. After hearing about this, she became very concerned about the children's living conditions, physical and mental health, and education, and hopes to come out soon to care for and accompany them. She was previously held at the Xinxiang City Detention Center. In March 2026, she was sent to Zhengzhou Women's Prison in Zhongmu County to serve her sentence. In April 2026, she was again transferred to Luoyang Women's Prison.

This outlet will continue to follow Ms. He Fangmei's situation in prison.