(Ningxia Province, China) On February 19, Mrs. Hao Ying published a prayer request letter and asked fellow Christians to pray for Panshi church, her imprisoned husband Geng Zejun, and other 5 Christians released on bail including herself.
Panshi church is a house church in Huinong District, Shizuishan. The church was raided during its Sunday service on December 5, 2021. The preacher Geng Zejun was administratively detained for 15 days. Later he was released and summoned again. His arrest has been formally approved. The other five Christians were administratively detained for 10 days beforehand and released on bail. They are Hao Ying, Luo Shiping, Ye Ningfang, Zhu Junying, and Wang Sufang.
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| Preacher Geng Zejun’s notice of detention (Photo: ChinaAid source) |
According to Hao Ying’s letter, police officers and national security agents from Huinong District Public Security Bureau raided Panshi church when Christians were gathered for Sunday service. Older Christians were asked to write down personal information and leave. Authorities took the others to the police station for interrogation. The following day, preacher Geng Zejun was administratively detained for 15 days under the charge of “disturbing social order.”
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| Preacher Geng Zejun’s notice of administrative punishment decision (Photo: ChinaAid source) |
Huinong District Public Security Bureau issued the following administrative punishment decision notice on December 5, 2021:
“Since September 2021, Geng Zejun, Hao Ying, Luo Shiping, Ye Ningfang, Zhu Junying, and Wang Sufang were involved in illegal gathering multiple times in the name of Christianity. On December 5 at around 2 pm, we arrested Geng Zejun, Hao Ying, and Wang Sufang during their illegal gathering. We also arrested Luo Shiping, Ye Ningfang, and Zhu Junying from their homes on the same day. Their behavior has severely disturbed social order. We decide to give Geng Zejun 15-day administrative detention based on item 1 and item 2 of article 23 of the ‘Public Security Administration Punishment Law of the People’s Republic of China.’”
On January 4, 2022, at 8:30 am, preacher Geng Zejun was summoned by police again. He was just released half a month later. When his family called the police station, they were told he had been criminally detained on suspicion of “organizing and funding illegal gatherings.” He was formally arrested on January 25 under the charge of “organizing illegal gatherings”. Currently, he is detained in the Shizuishan Detention Center. The other 5 Christians were released on bail under the same charge.
In her prayer request letter, Mrs. Hao said: ”I don’t think our church services are illegal gatherings. Fellow Christians, please pray for us and for God’s justice.”
~Yu Bing, ChinaAid special reporter