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Prison

• Uyghur Pastor Released After 15 Years

  

  After serving 15 years in prison, Alimujiang Yimiti has finally been released. While other details relating to his release are unconfirmed, the house church pastor, also known as Alim, is now home with his family. Ethnically, this faithful Christian leader happens to be of the Uyghur (Turkic) minority group, which is also experiencing severe human rights abuses in China.

• Acquitted Christian Remains in "Virtual Prison"

  

  In 2013, Sawan Masih was arrested after his neighbour accused him of committing blasphemy. When the accused Christian man was convicted in 2014, he received the death sentence. After serving six years in prison, he was acquitted of all charges on October 5th, 2020, by the Lahore High Court. For more details on his case, go to this page.

• John Cao's Mother Granted Visitation

  

  While John Cao, a Chinese pastor from North Carolina, was working along the border between China and Myanmar, he established 16 schools – providing education to more than 2,000 children. However, in 2017, the Chinese government accused him of "organizing illegal border crossings" between the two countries. In 2018, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, along with a fine (see this report).

• Imprisoned Pastor Highly Respected

  

  In August 2022, Pastor Geng Zejun was sentenced to 15 months in prison for "organizing illegal gatherings." Despite opposition from Chinese Communist Party officials, the church led by Pastor Geng refused to join the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement and was therefore deemed illegal.

• Christians Released on Bail

  

  With thanksgiving, Bob Fu from ChinaAid reported on social media that Wang Minghai and Wan Hongxia were released from prison on January 13th. The two Christians had been detained since their arrests in August 2021. They were charged with conducting "illegal business operations" due to their involvement with a private Christian school. (A previous report on the situation can be reviewed here.)

• Verdict for Zhao Weikai

  

  In a previously posted "Persecution & Prayer Alert" report, we included Li Xin's appeal for prayer, requesting that the court hearing relating to the case of her husband, Zhao Weikai, would soon take place. At the time of that report, Zhao had been detained since July 2021 without a conviction. For more details, go to this page.

• Ministry Leaders Appeal for Pastors' Release

  

  A group of pastors in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is appealing for the release of 30 fellow pastors who are being detained in prisons around the state. According to Pastor Jitendra Singh, General Secretary of the Pastors' Association of Uttar Pradesh, all of the detained church leaders have been falsely charged under the state's anti-conversion legislation which was enacted in February 2021.

• Trial for Church Elder Under Strict Security

  

  In March 2021, the Ren'ai Reformed Church in Guiyang, China, was raided by agents of the religious affairs bureau, together with public security officers. During the raid, ten church members were taken into custody. The church leader, Elder Zhang Chunlei, attempted to negotiate with the police; however, after doing so, he himself became detained. For more details on the initial incident, see this page.

• Christian Leader Facing Trial

  

  "Brother B," a leader of more than 30 churches and fellowships in northeastern India, serves as a program director for one of VOMC's International Ministry partners. VOMC recently received a report informing that the trial of this Christian ministry leader, who has been imprisoned since mid-October, was finally scheduled to take place this week.

• More Church Leaders Detained

  

  In 2002, the government of Eritrea outlawed every religion except for Sunni Islam, Eritrean Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism. Since then, the oppression against other religious groups has been severe. Even those within the approved faith groups have been at risk of opposition, particularly if they are perceived to be in conflict with the country's authoritarian regime. To review previous reports on the persecution of Christians in this East African nation, go to our country report.