Zou Wei, born October 23, 1970, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is a member of the Democratic Party.
On November 20, 2023, Zou Wei co-signed an open letter regarding the “Death of Sun Lin” in Nanjing and held up a placard. Late that night, he was taken away and detained by the Gongshu District Branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau, and his mother’s home in the Chaohui Residential Community was raided. On November 29, 2024, Zou Wei was released, but his cell phone was confiscated by the police, leaving him temporarily unable to contact the outside world.
During the 2024 Two Sessions, Zou Wei was taken on a "tour" to Lin'an, Hangzhou, under close police guard and prohibited from giving interviews to foreign media.
On July 13, 2024, the 7thanniversary of the passing of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, members of the Independent Chinese PEN Center Zhan Aizong and Zhuang Daohe, along with democrats Zou Wei, Mao Qingxiang, Wang Xue'e (wife of Lü Gengsong), Cheng Yunhui (wife of Wang Donghai), and Yan Zhongliang—a total of 7 people—held a memorial ceremony at the mouth of the Qiantang River in Haining, Zhejiang. Some photos from the event were posted online.
On July 20, 2024, to commemorate the 7th anniversary of Liu Xiaobo’s death, Zou Wei was criminally detained by the Gongshu District Branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau on suspicion of picking quarrels and provoking trouble; he is currently being held at the Gongshu District Detention Center in Hangzhou.
On August 26, 2024, he was formally arrested on suspicion of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
The cases of Zou Wei, a Zhejiang-based democracy activist, and independent writer Zan Aizong—who were arrested for commemorating the 7th anniversary of Liu Xiaobo’s death—have been transferred to the procuratorate. On March 8, 2025, a lawyer met with Zou Wei, and he was in good condition.
According to a report by Human Rights Defense Network on July 19, 2025, the cases of Zou Wei and Zan Aizong have been filed with the court.
On September 19, 2025, the trial was held, but no verdict was announced. Dozens of citizens who came to observe the proceedings that day were denied entry; Zou Wei’s mother attended the hearing inside the courtroom. Both Zou Wei and his defense attorney pleaded not guilty and protested the court’s failure to guarantee the rights to public observation and defense; The court disregarded the defense attorney’s motion for recusal and proceeded with the trial, which concluded shortly after 1:00 p.m.
On February 13, 2026, the verdict was handed down; Zou Wei was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months, with his sentence ending on January 19, 2028. Zan Aizong was sentenced to 3 years, with his sentence ending on July 19, 2027. Zou Wei filed an appeal.
On May 18, 2026, the second-instance trial upheld the original verdict in Zou Wei’s case.
He has since been transferred to Hangzhou South Suburban Prison to serve his sentence.
Other sources:
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/10-11212023153851. html
https://msguancha.com/ a/lanmu4/2024/0318/23354.html
http://beijingspring.com/bj2/2010/c8/mmdjhaovv/xw/rqmy/ 20240721160053.htm
https://msguancha.com/a/lanmu4/2024/0723/23634.html