A pastor and three members of the Covenant Church, located in the Chinese province of Anhui, were sentenced to different prison terms on charges of “intentional destruction of property”.
According to the organization China Aidwhich follows cases of religious persecution in the Asian country, the court’s sentence released this month gave pastor Zhao Hongliang a sentence of one year and one month in prison and three other members of the Christian community one year to four months in prison.
According to information from the trial, they were accused of opposing the communist regime’s pressure on government policies, such as the mandatory installation of surveillance devices in religious places and the forced removal of crosses in worship spaces.
According to the organization, sources reported that the case originated from complaints that several church members removed surveillance equipment installed at the church’s entrance by Chinese authorities.
Although the Alliance Church is an institution registered and authorized by the Xi Jinping regime, it has already publicly signaled rejection of the local government’s repressive policies on religious management.
Among the State’s demands were the mandatory installation of surveillance systems in places of religious activities, the removal of crosses from church roofs and the prohibition of the presence of minors in services.
