More than One hundred Christians Arrested in Henan Province Today

CAA(Philadelphia)-August 6,2004 (boxun.com)

CAA learned three famous Chinese house church Christians were sentenced one to three years imprisonment respectively by the Intermediate People¡¯s Court of Hangzhou city,Zhejiang province on Friday(August 6,Beijing Time). Both defense attorneys and some family members were present when the chief judge pronounced the court decision at about 10am in the court room. All of them were charged of "illegally soliciting,providing national intelligence to overseas organizations". The sentences against Liu Fenggang,Xu Yonghai and Zhang Shengqi were three,two and one year respectively. Sources say the prosecutors accused the three Christians leaking information about a court case which happened in Anshan city,Liaoning province to an overseas magazine in 2000. That case referred to was about an appeal filed by a house church Christian Ms. Li Baozhi who was sentenced to one and a half years re-education through labour after she was accused as an "evil cult member." Liu Fenggang,Xu Yonghai and Zhang Shengqi were accused of sending their report to "overseas magazine and organizations".The court verdict papers showed Liu was also charged for writing about reports on the government's actions on the destruction of the house church buildings in several areas of Zhejiang province in 2003. They were al sentenced according to the Article 111 of the Chinese Criminal Law. According to an eyewitness in the court,all three appear in good health. All three decide to make further appeal to the higher court.

CAA strongly deplores these unfair,unjust and baseless sentences. CAA urges the international community to continue to build up pressure for the release of these three innocent believers.

Meanwhile,at about 11am at the same day,more than one hundred House Church Christians were arrested at Luoyang City,Henan province while they were having a fellowship together. The interrogations are still undergoing before this report released.

China Aid Association,Inc. (boxun.com)