Tags

Detainment / Arrest

• Fifteen Christians Rearrested

  

  Eritrean authorities recently arrested 15 Christians during a series of raids on their houses in the capital city of Asmara. All 15 believers had been previously imprisoned for their faith – some for up to 16 years.

• Christian High School Raided

  

  On the morning of September 4th, the Maizi Christian Music High School in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, was raided by police, religious affairs officials and local school district administrators. All staff and students present were arrested.

• Raid on Home Church Gathering

  

  On the morning of Sunday, August 22nd, police raided a gathering of members from the Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church as they met for worship. According to the police officers, someone reported that an illegal assembly was taking place at the location. When the officers tried to enter the room, the home church group leader, Preacher Dai, asked to see a search warrant. However, the officers refused and demanded identification from everyone present.

• Three Elderly Pastors Arrested

  

  Three semi-retired pastors in the Eritrean capital of Asmara were arrested towards the latter part of July. Since they were all over 70 years old, and only occasionally conducted funeral or wedding services, it is unclear why these elderly Christian men had been targeted for arrest.

• Church Leader Formally Arrested

  

  On July 20th, the Wenshui County procuratorate approved the arrest of Zhao Weikai, a leader of the Xuncheng Reformed Church in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. The Public Security Bureau also issued an arrest notice for his wife, Li Xin. Brother Zhao has been charged with "illegal holding of materials promoting terrorism and extremism."

• Preacher's Family Locked in Their Home

  

  Members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Sichuan, China, continue to face harassment as authorities attempt to shut down their unregistered church. While the head pastor, Wang Yi, is serving a nine-year prison sentence, other members of the church have also encountered consistent persecution.

• Detained Pastor Confirmed Alive and Released

  

  On March 15th, 2020, Pastor Sithong Theppavong was approached by authorities who demanded that he agree to no longer hold worship services at a small church in Savannakhet Province, Laos (see this report). When Pastor Sithong refused, he was arrested without charge. Earlier this spring, those familiar with his situation were concerned that he was no longer alive since there had been no news of his whereabouts. (To read this previously posted report, visit this page.)

• Recently Arrested Christian Prisoners Released

  

  Earlier this month, it was reported that 23 women had been arrested at a prayer meeting in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, along with 12 others in the city of Assab. (To review a previously posted report, go to our country report, where there is also a link to a video-recorded interview addressing these recent incidents.) In a surprising move, all but one of the Christians arrested in Asmara were released on April 11th. Typically, believers who have been arrested in Eritrea are held without charges against them, and not permitted any legal representation, for extended periods of time --- sometimes many years.

• 35 New Arrests

  

  In recent months, we joyfully shared the good news that dozens of Christians had been released from prisons in Eritrea (see our country report). However, any hopes that the string of releases signalled a change of heart towards Christians in the oppressive regime were dashed when 35 believers were arrested for conducting prayer meetings in late March.

• Continued Detention of Church Elder

  

  When Elder Zhang Chunlei, leader of the Renai Reformed Church in Guiyang, attempted to negotiate with officers after a gathering at the church was forcibly broken up on March 16th, the authorities decided to arrest him (see this report). Police followed up the arrest by searching the church leader's home, where they confiscated a computer, cell phone and other items belonging to his wife, Yang Aiqin. That same day, the homes of other church members were also raided.