Four Years After Sitong Bridge Protest, Peng Lifa Reportedly Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison

Four years after a lone protester challenged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping from a bridge in Beijing, questions remain about his whereabouts and treatment in Chinese custody. Human rights organizations reported in 2025 that Peng Lifa, widely known as the “Sitong Bridge Man,” had been sentenced to nine years in prison, although Chinese authorities have not publicly confirmed the reported conviction.

According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026, a Chinese court reportedly sentenced Peng in July 2025 for hanging pro-democracy banners from Beijing’s Sitong Bridge in October 2022. However, a May 2026 letter from the Congressional-Executive Commission on China continued to describe his whereabouts and legal status as unclear.

The fourth anniversary of Peng’s protest on Oct. 13, 2026, prompted renewed demonstrations overseas, with Chinese democracy activists demanding his release and calling attention to Beijing’s continued suppression of political dissent.

On Oct. 13, 2022, shortly before the CCP’s 20th National Congress, Peng displayed two large banners on Sitong Bridge in Beijing’s busy Zhongguancun district, condemning the government’s zero-COVID restrictions and authoritarian rule.

One banner declared: “We want food, not COVID tests! We want freedom, not lockdowns! We want dignity, not lies! We want reform, not the Cultural Revolution! We want votes, not a leader! We want to be citizens, not slaves!”

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The second called for student and labor strikes and the removal of Xi Jinping.

Peng was arrested shortly afterward and disappeared from public view, becoming an international symbol of resistance to the CCP.

Plainclothes police reportedly deployed around Sitong Bridge

On Oct. 13, 2023, the first anniversary of Peng’s demonstration, Chinese authorities reportedly deployed large numbers of plainclothes police officers around Sitong Bridge.

According to a report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency, numerous users on X described increased police activity around the bridge, including random security checks and inspections of mobile phones.

One user warned: “There are large numbers of plainclothes officers around Sitong Bridge today, randomly checking phones. Everyone, please stay safe.”

Another reported being questioned after briefly stopping beneath the bridge. Others said plainclothes officers ordered them to delete photographs taken in the area.

“Two police officers and a vehicle were under the bridge today when I passed by,” another user wrote. “The key point is that this isn’t even a bridge with heavy traffic.”

One person claimed that officers and security guards maintained a daily presence around the bridge, suggesting the surveillance extended beyond the anniversary.

The location had already become a sensitive symbol of political dissent. Earlier in 2023, Beijing residents reported that signs identifying Sitong Bridge had been removed or replaced with references to Zhongguancun Avenue.

Online commentators accused authorities of attempting to erase the memory of Peng’s protest.

The reports of police activity and changes to signage could not be independently verified.

The heightened security reflected broader concerns within the Chinese leadership about public demonstrations. As Human Rights Watch noted in October 2024, Peng’s arrest had not prevented his message from spreading.

“The Chinese government may have taken away the ‘Bridge Man,’ but his arrest ignited widespread support for a free and democratic China,” said Maya Wang, then the organization’s associate China director.

Peng Lifa reportedly sentenced to nine years in prison

In July 2025, new information emerged suggesting that Peng had been secretly tried and sentenced to nine years in prison.

According to a July 15 report by ChinaAid, information obtained by the Chinese social media channel “Yesterday” indicated that Peng had been convicted on multiple charges, including “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and “arson.”

The report claimed that Peng had been transferred to an undisclosed prison approximately two months earlier to begin serving his sentence.

The allegations were subsequently highlighted by Chinese Human Rights Defenders, which considered the information credible despite the absence of official confirmation.

Sophie Richardson, co-executive director of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, condemned the reported sentence.

“This sentence is an indictment not of Peng Lifa, but of Xi Jinping’s profoundly politicized legal system,” Richardson said.

She called on Chinese authorities to release Peng, disclose his detention location, provide details about the legal proceedings, and allow him access to his family and independent legal representation.

The reported conviction was also documented in Human Rights Watch’s 2026 assessment of China’s human rights record, which cited Peng’s case as an example of Beijing’s continued prosecution of government critics.

However, the nine-year sentence remains unconfirmed by publicly available Chinese court records.

In May 2026, the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China included Peng among political prisoners identified in correspondence urging President Donald Trump to raise human rights cases with Xi Jinping.

The commission’s accompanying letter stated that Peng’s whereabouts and legal status remained unclear, underscoring the continuing lack of transparency surrounding his case.

Family reportedly subjected to surveillance and restrictions

Peng’s detention has also raised concerns about the treatment of his relatives.

In an October 2023 investigation, Voice of America cited multiple sources who said Chinese authorities had imposed extensive restrictions on Peng’s immediate and extended family following his arrest.

According to those sources, Peng’s wife, Han Yang, and their two daughters were subjected to constant surveillance. Authorities reportedly arranged transportation to and from work and school, while government personnel accompanied them during their daily activities.

Their personal mobile phones were confiscated and replaced with government-issued devices, reportedly under the pretext of providing “protection.”

Peng’s father-in-law, Han Yueci, who previously operated a small business in Beijing, was reportedly assigned to work at a factory in the city’s Daxing District, where he received accommodation and meals. Sources alleged that the arrangement facilitated continued surveillance.

Former Chinese human rights lawyer Liang Shaohua told VOA that restricting Peng’s family members amounted to collective punishment without legal justification.

“Peng Lifa’s family members, including his wife, Han Yang, and daughters, are illegally under house arrest,” Liang said.

Unverified reports allege torture and permanent injuries

On Oct. 13, 2023, Lude Media reported, citing an unnamed insider, that Peng had been severely beaten during detention and interrogation.

The outlet claimed that Peng had suffered permanent injuries, including the complete loss of his eyesight.

According to the report, an ophthalmological examination at Beijing’s Fuxing Hospital, also known as the Ministry of Public Security Hospital, allegedly determined that his vision was unlikely to recover.

Lude Media further claimed that Peng was scheduled to be transferred to a prison in Xianning, Hubei Province, on Oct. 13, 2023.

These allegations concerning Peng’s injuries, medical condition, and proposed prison transfer could not be independently verified.

The claims prompted expressions of concern and anger among Chinese internet users, many of whom condemned the CCP’s treatment of political dissidents.

In its October 2024 statement calling for Peng’s release, Human Rights Watch said Chinese authorities had provided no information about his detention or fate.

The organization called on Beijing to disclose Peng’s whereabouts and immediately release him.

US lawmaker nominates Peng for Nobel Peace Prize

Peng’s protest also attracted international political attention.

On Oct. 13, 2023, then-U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, announced that he was nominating Peng for the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to the committee’s official announcement, Gallagher said the nomination marked the first anniversary of Peng’s historic protest against Xi Jinping and the CCP’s authoritarian rule.

The committee credited Peng’s actions with helping inspire the White Paper Movement, which saw widespread demonstrations against China’s strict COVID-19 restrictions in November 2022.

In his remarks, Gallagher recounted how Peng had displayed banners demanding political reform, democratic elections, and an end to lockdowns.

“Today, I’m nominating Peng Lifa for the Nobel Prize,” Gallagher declared.

He concluded by repeating one of the central demands displayed on Peng’s banners: “We don’t want lies, we want dignity.”

Gallagher’s announcement was also reported by Voice of America, which shared footage of his remarks.

Fourth anniversary sparks renewed calls for Peng’s release

Four years after Peng’s arrest, his case continues to inspire demonstrations among overseas Chinese democracy activists.

On Oct. 1, 2026, members of the China Democracy Party’s European and British organizations staged coordinated demonstrations outside Chinese diplomatic facilities in London and Manchester.

According to the organizers’ statement, participants displayed banners reproducing Peng’s original demands for freedom, political reform, and democratic elections.

Protesters called for his immediate release and an end to the imprisonment of political dissidents in China.

A party representative described Peng’s 2022 demonstration as an act of resistance that continued to influence Chinese democracy activists four years later.

The anniversary was also commemorated in New York.

On Oct. 13, 2026, the China Democracy Party organized a demonstration outside the Chinese Consulate General, demanding Peng’s release and calling attention to political prisoners held by Beijing.

Organizers said the gathering was intended to ensure that Peng and others detained for expressing political views would not be forgotten.

Meanwhile, the legacy of the Sitong Bridge protest continues to be felt inside China.

In a September 2025 report, Human Rights Watch documented subsequent acts of political dissent, including protesters displaying anti-government banners and projecting pro-democracy messages onto buildings.

The organization cited Peng’s actions as an inspiration for other Chinese citizens willing to challenge the country’s increasingly restrictive political environment.

Despite the reported nine-year prison sentence, Peng’s precise detention location, current medical condition, and access to legal representation remain publicly unconfirmed.