Renowned human rights defender He Fangmei confirmed transferred to Luoyang Women’s Prison; visits possible Thursday

On April 21, 2026, this outlet learned that renowned human rights defender Ms. He Fangmei had been confirmed transferred to Luoyang Women’s Prison, where she can be visited on Thursday.

He Fangmei’s husband, Mr. Li Xin, announced today: “Today I finally managed to contact Luoyang Women’s Prison and confirmed that He Fangmei is indeed serving her sentence there. A visit is possible on Thursday. I need to bring proof of the relationship (marriage certificate), household register and identity card. Write to her in advance to let her know that we are all following her.”

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

On March 23, 2018, after her daughter, then only 1 year and 10 months old, became completely paralyzed after receiving the DTaP vaccine, and after her requests for help and complaints to multiple parties were rejected, she pursued redress at every level. Later, because similar vaccine-related injuries to babies also occurred in many places, she helped establish the rights group “Vaccine Babies’ Home” to jointly call for attention from the authorities and reasonable compensation and treatment. However, the authorities repeatedly delayed the matter, forcing her to petition in Beijing, where she was repeatedly arrested and targeted. On March 5, 2019, during the “Two Sessions” of the Chinese Communist Party, she went to Beijing’s Wangfujing with parents of children affected by problematic vaccines from various places to solicit donations for a disabled child, and was consequently administratively detained for 15 days by the Huixian police in Xinxiang. On March 21, she was again criminally detained by the Huixian police on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and held at the Xinxiang City Detention Centre in Henan Province. Because she consistently refused to admit guilt during this period, she was formally arrested by the Huixian Procuratorate in Xinxiang on April 26, 2019, on the same charge. She was later prosecuted on six listed charges, with a recommended sentence of one year. On November 15 of the same year, her case formally went to trial at the Huixian County Court in Henan Province. On January 10, 2020, the Huixian Procuratorate withdrew the prosecution on the grounds of “unclear facts and insufficient evidence,” and she was subsequently released without conviction.

On May 18, 2020, because she continued speaking out and calling for national legislation to resolve vaccine-related problems and urging the United Nations to pay attention to China’s vaccine-related problems, she was forcibly disappeared again 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 was administratively detained after splashing ink on the Huixian government sign in protest. On October 9, she protested for a second time by splashing paint on the Huixian City government.

On October 14, 2020, after learning of this, the Huixian police took away the couple together with their then six-year-old son and three-year-old disabled daughter. She was later placed under residential surveillance at a designated location—the Gongji Hospital in Xinxiang City—on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” for a period of 18 months, during which she gave birth to a younger daughter. On March 23, 2021, she was formally arrested by the Huixian police on suspicion of “bigamy” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” while her husband, Li Xin, was forcibly disappeared, and the whereabouts of their son and disabled daughter were also unknown. In April 2022, after her defence lawyer became involved, it was learned that her case had already undergone a first-instance trial, but there was still no result and her relatives had not been notified. On October 23, 2024, her case was once again adjudicated at first instance by the Huixian County 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.” She objected and appealed. On January 21, 2025, it was learned that the Xinxiang Intermediate People’s Court of Henan Province had upheld the original judgment on appeal, with her sentence running until January 1, 2027.

It is reported that her husband, Li Xin, formerly an editor at Nandu Net, was also wrongfully sentenced to five years on an unknown charge for engaging in rights advocacy together with her, and is serving his sentence at Jiaozuo Prison in Henan. Their son was sent by the authorities to be fostered by villagers. Their two daughters were initially held at Gongji Hospital, but were transferred elsewhere in early April 2024, and the family has been unable to contact them ever since. After hearing about this, she became extremely worried 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 detained at the Xinxiang City Detention Centre. 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.