In March 2023, Zhang Haitao’s older sister met with him via video call for the first time in nearly five years. Not many details were released about their conversation. 

19 years

All it took was 69 social media posts, 205 tweets, and 13 pictures to sentence Zhang Haitao to 19 years in prison. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) arrested and sentenced him for “inciting subversion of state power”  and “providing intelligence overseas.”

Zhang’s Activism

Long before receiving a 19-year sentence, Zhang Haitao was an activist in Xinjiang supporting numerous movements and petitions. He drew the ire of the Communist government with his longstanding activity. “[Zhang] exposed the ethnic repression policies implemented by the Chinese government [in Xinjiang] and spoke up for the human rights of repressed Uyghurs,” Zhang’s wife Li Aijie reflected in 2022. His activity culminated right before his 2015 arrest.

Crimes against humanity

Since Zhang’s imprisonment, many have come to know about China’s genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Their crimes against humanity include forced sterilizations, sexual abuse, forced labor, and torture in Xinjiang concentration camps. 

Abuse in prison

After Zhang Haitao’s trial in 2016, a few details circulated about his time in prison. His wife Li Aijie documented some of the torture and mistreatment he suffered. According to her, Zhang was handcuffed and beaten upside down. Prison guards also deprived him of sleep for 20 days and nights.

Concerning letters

Zhang’s family received suspicious letters about his condition. After two years of no correspondence, he asked them to not visit and assured them that he was fed well. He strangely ended the letter as well: “Thank you to the Party, thank you to the country, thank you to the government!”

Li Aijie

While Zhang suffers in a Xinjiang prison, Li relentlessly advocates for him. When she still lived in China, her advocacy led to mounting pressure on her family and young son. ChinaAid rescued Li Aijie and “Mandela” in 2017. She continues her work in the United States.