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3 CHINESE CHURCH LEADERS IMPRISONED
FOR ‘LEAKING STATE SECRETS’

A Chinese court sentenced three leaders of China’s rapidly growing independent house church movement to up to three years in prison Friday, Aug. 6, on charges of “leaking state secrets” to overseas organizations, human rights watchers said.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the China Aid Association (CAA) reported that the Intermediate Peoples Court of Hangzhou City in Zhejiang found Liu Fenggang, Xu Yonghai and Zhang Shengqi “guilty of passing on information to an overseas magazine” about a court case involving another house church member.

Liu received three years for passing on information about the destruction of unofficial churches outside Hangzhou in a crackdown last year. Xu received two years, and Zhang one year, the group said. The prison terms were less severe than expected as CAA had warned that under Chinese Criminal Law, the Christians could face up to 10 years or even life in prison if convicted.
The men reportedly attempted to publicize last year’s crackdown on hundreds of ministers and worshipers who human rights watchers say were detained in sweeps by police. Dozens of churches were also destroyed. Similar attacks have continued this year. Recently hundreds of evangelical believers were detained, and Christians have been tortured and even killed.

From the news flow at Intercessors Network

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Lars Widerberg