CNHRA EVENT RECORD · CNHRA-E-052833
Wang Yi and Early Rain Covenant Church: 2018 Police Action and Nine-Year Sentence
Date
2018-12
Location
Chengdu, Sichuan
Event Type
Detention · Sentencing
Human Rights Issues
Freedom of Religion or Belief · Freedom of Expression · Right to Liberty and Security · Right to a Fair Trial
Record ID
CNHRA-E-052833
Summary
Amnesty describes December 2018 raids, questioning or custody affecting about a hundred members and demands that some pledge not to attend. Chengdu’s intermediate court imposed nine years on December 30, 2019.[1]
Description
Amnesty describes December 2018 raids, questioning or custody affecting about a hundred members and demands that some pledge not to attend. Chengdu’s intermediate court imposed nine years on December 30, 2019.[1]
The church published the prepared statement on December 12, days after police action.[1]
The court used inciting-subversion and illegal-business charges, while Amnesty regarded the punishment as directed at peaceful belief and expression. Religious-freedom advocacy also follows access to him.[1][2]
Developments
Police action targets the church
Police raided Early Rain’s premises, followed by questioning or detention of about a hundred members, including Wang. Amnesty reports demands that some pledge not to attend again.[1]
Church publishes his prewritten statement
Days after the raids, the church published Wang’s statement prepared months earlier about faith, possible charges and coercion.[1]
Sentenced to nine years
Chengdu’s intermediate court imposed nine years on inciting-subversion and illegal-business charges. Amnesty regarded the punishment as directed at peaceful belief and expression. That assessment differs from the court’s findings, and the case follows a wider campaign against the church.[1]
Related People
Organizations
No organizations have been added.
Documents
No documents have been added to this record yet.
Sources
- [1]
CNHRA-S-132936Amnesty International
Evidence location: Background: 2018 raids, December 12 statement and nine-year sentence on December 30, 2019.
- [2]
CNHRA-S-892681US Department of State
Evidence location: Body: Early Rain pastor, 2019 sentence and religious-freedom position.