In April, Germany deported back to China an Uyghur asylum seeker who “disappeared” after his repatriation. Now, Germany has apologized for the “mistake,” yet plans to deport on August 31 Sister Zhao of The Church of Almighty God, who will likely “disappear” as well....
China
Falun Gong Targeted in the Current Crackdown on Xie Jiao
The national crackdown on banned “heterodox teachings” (xie jiao) led to the sentencing of 305 Falun Gong practitioners between April and July 2018. Bitter Winter has reported on a national plan to crack down in banned religious organizations listed as xie jiao...
Christians Arrested for Commemorating Anniversary of Church Destruction
The authorities arrested believers at the site of Sanjiang Church in Zhejiang Province who were observing a moment of silence to commemorate the church’s demolition four years ago. The Sanjiang Church in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou city was demolished using explosives in April...
Following Release From Prison, Pastor Makes Multiple Suicide Attempts
A recently released pastor struggles to live a normal life after a brutal prison sentence. In March 2014, Zhou Xi (pseudonym) was arrested for preaching the gospel. Mr. Zhou was a pastor at a house church in Inner Mongolia. 34 other believers were detained along with...
Tens of Police Officers Deployed to Remove Church Signage
In two incidents from Henan province, authorities deployed a total of 70 officers to remove religious signage from government-approved churches. On July 11, six local government officials in Henan’s Zhumadian city carried out an overnight raid at a True Jesus Church...
Land Owner Forced to Use Site for Cultivation After Church Demolition
The authorities tore down a state-controlled church in Chenji town two years ago and have not permitted its reconstruction so far. In May 2016, a church that belongs to the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement was under construction in Henan’s Chenji...
Octogenarian Church Leader and Three Others Arrested
Local authorities in Xinjiang’s Manas county arrested four people after a villager reported about their whereabouts. In late March, a man ventured into a village to run some errands. A villager identified him as being the son of a local house church leader, Liu Zhang...
Believer in Almighty God Arrested Upon Returning to China
A member of The Church of Almighty God was arrested at the Shanghai airport after she came back from Japan. On July 18, 2018, Tan Ruihua (pseudonym), a member of The Church of Almighty God, a Chinese Christian new religious movement, who had worked in Japan for the...
Local Church Leader Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
The leader of a Chinese religious movement was detained and later imprisoned. The Local Church, also known in China as the “Shouters, which the Chinese authorities listed as xie jiao in 1995. This non-denominational movement was started in 1927 by Ni Tuosheng or...
Imams in Xinjiang Captured as Part of Concerted Efforts Against Islam
The CCP authorities detained a number of imams last year and continue to hold them for no reason. An imam is an honorific title in Islam given to a person who is the head of a mosque. It is a role equivalent to that of a priest in charge of a church in Christianity or...









