Source: Direct Reports from China
Date: June 26, 2018
The police burst into the meeting place of a house church in Hubei Province’s Yanji town, the city of Ezhou, and arrested six Christians who were having a meeting, without any explanation and proper documentation. This happened over a year ago, but the fate of one of them is still unknown.
The 38-years-old church leader and five believers were taken to the Yanji police station where they were interrogated separately. Not being able to get the information they needed, the officers started stabbing the Christians’ fingers with needles. They were forced to sign some documents, fingerprinted. The police detained five of them for varying amounts of days, from three to five, charging them with “the disruption of social order.” Right before their release, the police threatened the believers, saying, “After you get out, don’t believe in God anymore. If you do, you’ll be arrested and do prison time!” Back in their village, the local party and brigade cadres often visit their homes for investigation, questioning, and monitoring, making sure that no religious activities are taking place.
A year after her arrest, the whereabouts and fate of the church leader is still unknown; her family has not received any notifications from authorities and do not know whether she is alive or dead.
