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China

• Church Leader Released, Others Still Detained

  Hua Huiqi, just after his release Photo fromChina Aid Association

  Hua Huiqi, a Beijing house church leader, was released on July 26 after serving six months in prison, according to China Aid Association. Hua was detained on January 26 and formally charged on June 4 (follow links here for more details).

  Last week's Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on the detention of fifteen Chinese Christians
  (click here for more details). CAA reports that eleven of them have been released following international pressure. The four from Inner Mongolia remain incarcerated.

  Praise God for those who have been released. Continue to pray for strength and courage for those who are being held in prison because of their faith in Christ. Please remember to pray for Hua's mother, Shuang Shuying (77) who remains in prison and in poor health.

  For more information on the persecution facing Chinese Christians, readChina's Country Report.

• Four Priests Arrested Three Catholic priests who had been in hiding in Inner Mongolia were located by Chinese security police on July 24 and arrested for refusing to join the government-approved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation. The three, Liang Aijun (35), Wang Zhong (41) and Gao Jinbao (34) were initially locked in an iron cage and were not allowed to speak or given water. They have since been transferred to an undisclosed location.

  Earlier in July, another priest, Cui Tai (50) was also arrested after he was involved in a minor traffic accident in Hebei. He is being held in the Zhuolu County detention centre. Cui has also refused to join the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

  Pray that those in custody will recognize the presence of Christ with them. Pray that they will stand firm in their resolve in the face of pressure to compromise their convictions.

  For more information on persecution in China, visitChina's Country Report.

• Fifteen Church Leaders Arrested A total of fifteen church leaders were arrested in three separate incidents in the first two weeks of July, according to a July 19 report from China Aid Association.

  On July 10, Pastor Lu Jiangxiang was arrested by members of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) on allegations of involvement in "illegal religious activities" at his house in Qiaotou, Mingguang County. He was given no legal papers for his arrest.

  At approximately 4:00 p.m. on July 11, PSB members along with the Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the police arrested and assaulted church leaders while they were conducting a children's Bible school at the Zhongzhuang House Church in Jianhu City, Jiangsu Province. Ten Christians were arrested, including the church's pastor, Pastor Zeng Zhengliang. Two Christians were hospitalized for their injuries.

  At 11:30 a.m. on July 14, four church leaders were arrested by PSB members at the home of Pastor Fu Pengtu in the city of Wuhai, in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. No legal papers were provided for the arrests. The names of those arrested were: Gao Chinxia (Pastor Fu's wife), Xie Yanan, Pastor Liu Yukang and Chen Bingui.

  Pray for the release of these Christians. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith while in prison. Ask God to continue to bring forth more Christian church leaders to guide those whose leaders are imprisoned (Luke 21:13-15).

  For more information on the persecution facing Christians in China, visitChina's Country Report.

• Pastors Released on Probation

  The Voice of the Martyrs has learned that Pastor Zhou Jieming and Pastor Niu Wenbin, two church leaders detained in Shanxi province on June 9 and accused of involvement in an "evil cult" (click here for details), were released on parole that same evening. According to a July 13 report from China Aid Association (CAA), both men are restricted from traveling outside of their hometown and they have to report to the PSB office periodically.

   For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, go to the China Country Report.

• Updates from Shandong and Shanxi

  Pastor Zhang Geming and Pastor Sun Qingqen, two of the six church leaders who were arrested during a church raid in Shandong province on June 15 (for more information, click here), have been sentenced to one year re-education through labour. According to a July 7 report from China Aid Association, both have been sent to a labour camp in Jining City to serve their sentence, which runs from June 29, 2007 to June 14, 2008. The four other detained church leaders were released after paying a fine of 10,000 yuans ($1400 CAD).

  Six church leaders were arrested on June 9 while distributing literature in Jiaocheng county and were later released (click here for more). On June 29, they went to the local Public Security Bureau office for an official explanation for their arrest. Ms. Gao Qiuxiang (54) accompanied them. While at the PSB office, Gao was arrested and sentenced to ten days of administrative detention.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, go to theChina Country Report.

• Hua Huiqi Secretly Sentenced

  Photo fromChina Aid

  Beijing house church activist Hua Huiqi, who was formally arrested in February (click here for more details), was secretly sentenced to six months in prison on June 4, according to a June 4 report from China Aid Association. Neither his wife nor his lawyer was allowed to attend the two-hour trial. Huiqi is expected to be released next month.

  To learn more on the persecution of Christians in China, go to theChina Country Report.

• Recent Updates from China

  a) Father Shao Zhoumin (43) and Father Jiang Sunian, two underground priests from Wenzhou who were arrested in late September (click here for more information), received prison sentences in March after being charged with making "illegal exits" when returning from China to Europe. According to a May 21 report from Zenit, Zhoumin, who was accused of having falsified his passport, has been released one month prior to the end of his nine month prison sentence due to his poor health. He suffers from an illness which he likely contracted during his detention that has left him deaf. Sunian, who is classified as a "repeat offender" due to a prior arrest for illegally publishing hymnals, is currently serving an eleven month prison sentence and is expected to be released in August.

  b) After intensive diplomacy and media pressure, the five house church leaders who have been detained in Xinjiang since being arrested on April 19 (click here for more details) were released on May 17 and 18, according to a May 18 report from China Aid Association. Family members of the detained pastors were called by the local government to pay 2000 Yuan ($284 CAD) for the release of each detainee because all of them were "very ill." After payment, the families discovered that most of the pastors were in fine health but two of the male pastors had torture wounds on their arms and legs. The names of the five released leaders are Ms. Xinglan Zhao, Ms. Xiurong Huang, Pastor Tianlu Yang (41) Pastor Chaoyi Wang (41) and Ms. Cuiling Li (48)

• Updates on Hua Huiqi and Shuang Shuying

  Hua Huiqi with his wife and parents Photo fromChina Aid

  Hua Huiqi, (read the details) the house church activist who was arrested along with his mother, Shuang Shuying, in late January, will likely be tried in two weeks at Chaoyang District People's Court. According to a May 14 report from China Aid Association, Huiqi's case was transferred to the court on May 10. The court has not allowed Huiqi's lawyer to meet with him. Shuying, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment, has been held in an emergency medical center since her sentence. She suffers from a heart problem and diabetes and her doctors said her health was too poor for her to be sent to a formal prison.

  To learn more on the persecution of Christians in China, go to theChina Country Report.

• Americans Released, Chinese Leaders Remain Detained After intense international media pressure, the four American church leaders who were arrested along with thirty Chinese church leaders in Akesu city, Xinjiang on April 19 (click here for more details) were released last week, along with their translator. According to a May 2 report from China Aid Association, all five have returned home. Several Chinese church leaders, however, remain detained, including six pastors. It is suspected that the six will receive harsh sentences because of their connection with the Americans. Persecution of Christians in the Xinjiang area has reportedly been on the rise since the April 19 arrests.
• American and Chinese Church Leaders Arrested

  Four American Christian leaders, including two pastors, and approximately thirty Chinese house church leaders were arrested and detained during a fellowship gathering in Akesu city, Xinjiang province on April 19. According to an April 25 report from China Aid Association, the Chinese Christians were detained at the Akesu City detention center. Eyewitnesses saw at least two of the arrested with bleeding noses and facial bruises due to torture during interrogation. Several of the detainees have been released over the past week. Six pastors -- Xinglan Zhao, Xiurong Huang, Tianlu Yang, Chaoyi Wang, Cuiling Li, and Sijun He -- received thirty days detention for alleged involvement in "evil cult activities." The pastors also face one to three years re-education through labour. A couple of years ago, these six pastors were detained for organizing house church activities.

  At last report, the Americans, who arrived in Akesu on April 17, were still being held in an undisclosed hotel for questioning along with their translator. The U.S. Embassy is reportedly intervening in the case.

  Pray for the safety of the Christians who are detained. Pray that no further charges will be brought against the six pastors. Pray that the Chinese authorities who are oppressing Christians may experience repentance and salvation, as the Apostle Paul did. (Acts 9:1-19).

  For more information on persecution in China,click here. The feature article from the May edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter centers on China. To subscribe and read this month's feature article, click here.