ICC Note: Authorities in Xinjiang raided a house church in Xinjiang on March 12, accusing them of gathering illegally in violation of the religious regulations. Upon rejecting to sign a document admitting that they gathered illegally, four Christians were then detained for 10 days.

03/15/2018 China (China Aid) – Breaking into a church in China’s northwestern Xinjiang on Monday, officials accused the 10 Christians meeting there of gathering illegally and detained four of the members.

A Christian said that policemen and religious affairs bureau agents interrupted a service at Jiamei Church in Urumqi, saying the church members gathered illegally and “violated the Religious Affairs Regulations” by meeting in an unregistered venue. They then took the Christians to the police station and interrogated them.

Authorities also tried to make a church member surnamed Huang and three other women sign a document admitting that they gathered illegally and incited and tricked their congregation, promising to release them as soon as they signed it. When the Christians refused, they were administratively detained on a 10-day sentence.

“The government fabricated the crimes simply because they were members of a house church and had participated in Sunday gatherings,” an anonymous Christian familiar with the situation said.

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