Church Leaders Face Possible Death Sentence as Wife is Released

22 October 2003

^{Zhang Yi-nan}

^{Xiao Bi-guang and family}

Two church leaders arrested by the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) are facing charges of "conspiracy to subvert the national government and socialist system." If convicted, Xiao Bi-guang and Zhang Yi-nan face a minimum sentence of five years in prison and could be sentenced to death.

Xiao and Zhang were arrested on September 26 (For more details on the arrest, click here). Zhang's wife, Ding Guizhen, was also arrested on September 28 but was released on October 11. As she was being ushered from the prison, she was served with the official notification of her husband's arrest, including the charges they face.

On October 21, Xiao's wife, Gou Qinghui, finally received official notification of the charges against her husband. According to Chinese law, family members must be notified within twenty-four hours of an arrest. It is believed that this notification came only as a result of international pressure on the authorities. The official excuse given for the delay was that the authorities claim that Xiao gave them the given the wrong address during his interrogation.

Until Gou received official notification, she was unable to hire a lawyer to defend her husband. She has now done so and the attorneys plan to visit the Detention Center of Lushan County in Henan Province, where Xiao is being held, later this week. According to the official document that she finally received, Xiao is being charged with "subverting the national government."

We thank God for the release of Ding Guizhen and the official notification of the charges. Pray that international pressure against the Chinese government and its policy of religious persecution will continue. Pray for the lawyers planning a defense and for the family members of Xiao and Zhang.

China

Current Ministry Projects
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development
Country Information
Population
1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

Religion (%)
Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

Leader
President Xi Jinping (2013)

Government type
Communist party-led state

Legal system
Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

Sources: CIA World Factbook
Pray for China
Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.

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