Tags

In a sudden and unexpected turn of events, Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri from the Beijing Zion Church was released from prison on July 3rd and allowed to reunite with his family in the United States. Arriving in Los Angeles the next day, the pastor has since been warmly welcomed by his family – including a newborn grandson.

In December 2025, it was announced that five Iranian Christians had received lengthy prison sentences. Although the charges against them officially involved "collusion" and "propaganda," they were imprisoned merely for engaging in typical Christian activities, such as gathering for worship, prayer, and the observance of communion and baptismal ceremonies. (Further details on the believers' convictions are available at this report. For security reasons, one of the accused believers' names was withheld from that initial report.)

A pastor serving in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is facing possible closure of his church after authorities imposed burdensome requirements on him. The pastor, identified only as "Pastor A," leads a small house church among the Uyghur people. This particular Turkic population group is predominantly Muslim and has been subjected to significant ethnic opposition over the years. Many organizations, including the United Nations, have accused the Chinese government of human rights violations and crimes against humanity because of their persistent abusive actions against the Uyghur people.

On November 18th, Communist authorities formally arrested 18 church leaders (pastors and other staff members) of the Beijing Zion Church, charging them with "illegally using information networks." These charges were part of the officials' ongoing campaign to target the church and its various campuses. (Learn more about these arrests by reviewing this previously posted report.)

The Early Rain Covenant Church has experienced significant and sustained governmental pressure, particularly since a major raid took place in December 2018, resulting in a nine-year prison sentence against Pastor Wang Yi. Despite ongoing opposition, the church has remained steadfast in its commitment to continue gathering for worship and ministering in the community.

Two Montagnard Vietnamese Christians – Pastor Siu Yui and church member Siu Dok – were arrested on June 1st for spreading religious propaganda and allegedly instigating talk of independence for Vietnam's Central Highlands. Authorities claim that these men have been "undermining national unity" and associating with illegal organizations. In addition, they were accused of misrepresenting the current state of religious freedom and democracy in Vietnam through comments shared on social media.

In March 2024, leaders of a house church fellowship in Suizhou, a city located in central China's Hubei Province, were arrested as part of a major crackdown on itinerant ministry workers. In an apparent attempt to minimize public and international attention, authorities conducted the trials in small numbers, often with only one or two defendants at a time.

In January 2025, Ghazal Marzban was arrested and sentenced to six months' imprisonment and 74 lashes on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and for appearing in public without a hijab. Thankfully, the Christian woman was released after serving two months of her previously ordered sentence.

In early May, six Christians were arrested in Kaili, a city located within China's Guizhou province. Authorities accused the believers of fraud and "organizing minors to engage in activities undermining public order." The alleged "crime" leading to these charges was hosting a children's Sunday school program and allowing families to worship together as a church.

In October 2025, Dr. Augustin Sam'an was arrested and charged with "contempt of Islam" due to the content he shared on his YouTube channel. (More details about his situation are available here.)As a result of the subsequent trial, this Christian scholar/apologist was sentenced on January 3rd to five years of hard labour. Not only were the court proceedings conducted in secret, without due notification given to his family or lawyers, but he was also denied access to legal defence. Finally, Dr. Augustin's lawyers were granted access to the file relating to his case on February 11th.