Three leaders of the Linfen Covenant Home Church in China's Shanxi Province have been sentenced to prison on fraud charges in a closed-door proceeding.

Pastor Li Jie and Elder Han Xiaodong received three years and eight months each, while Elder Wang Qiang was sentenced to one year and 11 months.

The convictions were announced June 20, following years of surveillance, arrests and court delays, beginning with the detention of Li and Han during a church retreat in August 2022 and Wang's arrest in November 2022, the United Kingdom-based watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported Tuesday.

The men were initially charged in June 2023 with forming a "criminal clique" and collecting "illegal income," but their trial did not begin until May 8 of this year.

The trial was held under heavy security, with reports of police intimidation, restrictions on court access, and relatives being forcibly removed. On the day of the trial, authorities prevented Li Jie's wife, mother and two children from entering the Linfen Yaodu District Court by detaining them outside and removing them by force.

CSW stated that defense lawyers had been informed that the sentences for Li and Han would not exceed three years if they agreed to the court's security demands, including surrendering their phones and laptops. Ultimately, the sentences exceeded those assurances.

Wang's sentence, while shorter, came after his release from "Residential Surveillance in a Designated Location" on Sept. 30, 2024. He was later released on bail in March this year. CSW stated that his prison term had been deemed served, and he would not be returning to custody.

The church released a statement condemning the verdict, maintaining that Linfen Covenant Home Church is an unregistered house church operating within its constitutional rights, and that its offerings are based on biblical teaching, not fraud.

"Although the judgment of the case has been announced, we do not accept this unjust judgment," the statement reads, as translated by China Aid. "Our brothers did not commit fraud, and the offerings of our church are not fraud. Our church remains a house church, adhering to Christ as the sole head of the church and the principle of separation of church and state. We recognize that Li Jie, Han Xiaodong and Wang Qiang are suffering for righteousness sake and are willing to take up the cross with the Lord. We receive the result of the judgment from the Lord with a heart of gratitude and obedience."

In December 2024, human rights lawyers and activists signed a statement challenging the criminalization of tithes collected by house churches.

On the same day, members of another Linfen church, Golden Lampstand Church, also received prison sentences on similar fraud charges. Ten leaders were tried in April and sentenced to prison terms ranging from nine years to nine years and two months, following a series of arrests that began in August 2021.

In a statement, CSW President Mervyn Thomas said the recent sentencings highlight "how easily China's complex judicial system and processes can be manipulated."

He said the closed-door trials and restricted access to legal support raise "serious questions about the integrity of China's judicial process."

CSW condemned the sentences and called on authorities to overturn them and ensure future trials are fair and transparent.

Open Doors, an international organization that tracks religious persecution in over 60 countries, has stated that these types of cases form part of China's strategy to suppress Christian activity, particularly among unregistered house churches. The group cited a tightening of state control and widespread digital surveillance aimed at religious communities not affiliated with state-recognized institutions.

China recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism. While China's constitution states that citizens have freedom of religious belief," it "limits protections for religious practice to "normal religious activities" and does not define "normal."

The crackdown is also affecting foreign nationals.

New restrictions issued by the Chinese Communist Party took effect on May 1, banning foreign missionaries from preaching and operating religious institutions.

The revised rules prohibit non-Chinese citizens from producing religious materials, soliciting donations, recruiting local followers, or organizing religious education without government approval, according to Mission News Network.

Under these regulations, foreign clergy can only preach if invited by state-sanctioned religious organizations, and all sermons must be cleared in advance by Chinese authorities.

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