Henan Officials Detain 28 House Church Protestants, Who Obtain Legal Counsel

Chinese officials raided a house church service on May 28 in Xiguan Ma Jia Chang, Fugou county, in Henan province, and detained 28 members of the church, according to a June 8 report of the China Aid Association (CAA), a U.S. NGO that monitors religious freedom in China. Officials released 23 of the house church members on the same day, and thereafter released Liu Yuemei on June 1 after she paid a 1,600 yuan (US $200) fine, and Chang Xinhong on June 8 after she promised to pay a fine.

As of June 8 officials continued to hold Pastor Li Shunmin, Chen Xuelan, and Cao Yan at Bayi Prison in Fugou county, according to CAA, which also reported that security officials did not identify themselves during the raid, and did not present warrants or court summons. Article 64 of the Criminal Procedure Law requires officials to present warrants before detaining citizens. The CAA further reported that some of the detainees have decided to take legal action and that house church attorneys Li Baiguang and Fan Yafeng have agreed to represent them.

Li and Fan, and other house church lawyers like them, have begun to promote the rule of law with respect to religious belief and practice by raising house church leaders' awareness of their legal rights, and by demanding that the government comply with the Chinese Constitution, Regulation on Religious Affairs, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, and other relevant laws and regulations.

For more information on Protestants in China, see the CECC 2005 Annual Report, Section III(d).