Federal deputy Jefferson Campos (PL-SP) demanded official positions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Itamaraty, and the Chamber’s Foreign Relations and National Defense Commission (CREDN) on the action of the Chinese government, which this month arrested at least 30 pastors and leaders of the Zion Church, one of the largest unregistered evangelical Christian congregations in the country.
According to Campos, the arrests had great repercussions in Brazilian Christian circles after the publication of a report by Gazeta do Povo recounting the case on the 13th.
“We were informed by People’s Gazette and also by international agencies of persecution, the government’s stance in relation to those who profess the Christian faith, the closing of churches, removal of crosses, seizure of Bibles and we took the position of taking this question to Itamaraty, to the Chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee, of which I am a member”, he said.
“Brazil is not just a trading partner. Brazil is a signatory to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees us religious freedom. And China, through these actions, has caused the gospel and religion to be persecuted and leaders to be arrested,” he said.
The deputy, who is also a pastor, said he wanted to know if there were Brazilians among the prisoners, as there are missionaries from Brazil working in the country. He proposed that the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva intervene in the case and dialogue with Beijing to end the abuses.
The communist regime led by Xi Jinping has arrested at least 30 pastors and leaders of the Zion Church, one of the largest independent evangelical congregations in China. The operation, launched simultaneously in several provinces, was classified as the most widespread crackdown on unregistered churches since 2018. Among those detained is pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, founder of the Zion Church, accused of “illegal use of information networks” — a crime that can result in up to seven years in prison.
In the Chamber plenary, Jefferson Campos demanded a firm position from the Brazilian government. “Thirty pastors were arrested simply for exercising their right to faith, holding services and prayers without authorization from the State. This is an affront to religious freedom and human dignity itself”, he stated.
The deputy highlighted that Brazil, being a nation with a Christian majority, “cannot remain indifferent to this brutal persecution that attempts to erase any expression of faith not controlled by the Chinese government”.
The deputy said that he is sending letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chamber’s Foreign Relations Committee, based on the facts reported in the report, requesting that the Executive and Legislative branches make an official statement on the abuses.
The arrest of the pastors is part of a State policy that seeks to align religious practices with the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party. Since 2018, the regime has intensified control over independent Christian churches, with demolitions of temples, censorship of Bibles and intimidation of believers.
China’s objective would be to weaken the influence of congregations that do not submit to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the official body that supervises evangelical churches under state control.
The case also provoked international reactions. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the arrests and demanded the immediate release of the clergy, stating that the action “demonstrates how the Chinese Communist Party is hostile to Christians who reject state interference in their faith.”
The deputy ended his speech by asking for support from his colleagues and the Brazilian government. “We are talking about men and women imprisoned for professing the name of Jesus Christ. Brazil must act with firmness and solidarity in the face of this unacceptable violation of human rights”, he declared.
