ICC Note: 13 Christians remain unlawfully behind bars in Central China’s Henan Province despite international media attention and an attempt by lawyers to obtain their release. The 13 are members of the Nanle Country Christian Church and include the churches pastor, Zhang Shaojie, who was arrested in November. The case is highly unusual, as authorities typically do not target members of official government sanctioned “Three-Self” churches. The arrest of the believers and the ensuing harassment of the churches members may be related to Pastor Shaojie’s activism in the community and a dispute the church has with the local government over a land issue.  
1/4/2014 China (ChinaAid) – Several believers from the Nanle County Christian Church in China’s central Henan province, including the pastor’s daughter, have been released; however, as many as 13 remain in custody.
Six days after Zhang Shanshan, the Nanle County Christian Church’s pastor’s daughter, Ren Tiantang and Fan Ruimin went missing on Dec. 21, hey were released from detention. No detention notices for the three were issued.
“Officers from the Religious Affairs Bureau and the United Front Work Department sent me home. After arriving in town, they returned my cell phone and camera, except the video camera. I left belongings in Zhang’s place before the detainment, and I had no money. They gave me 10 yuan so that I could take a bus home,” Ren, who is from Beijing, said.
Nanle County authorities began detaining believers on Nov. 16, when they took in the church’s pastor, Zhang Shaojie.
By the next day, 23 more believers had been detained on charges of “gathering a mob to disturb social order.” The detainments came after a series of persecution against the church in retaliation to Zhang Shaojie and a group of Christians’ trip to Beijing to petition the government regarding a land dispute.
Some of the detained believers were released after a one-month detention, but six people, including Zhang Shaojie, were officially arrested.
According to local believers, as of Sunday, 13 believers remained in official custody. “Zhang Cuxia, Guo Muxiang, Yang Miling, Du Yin, Fan Huizhen, Zhao Xiping, Zhao Guoli, Wu Guishan, Zhao Zhijun, Zhao Junling, Yan Beibei, Zhao Shaojie, and Cao Nan are still under detainment,” one believer said.
The pastor’s family continues to be harassed, including the disconnection of family’s Internet. The tires of a vehicle parked outside the home were slashed as well.
“Our Internet was cut off…a few days ago. We were unable to connect to the Internet and asked the carrier to fix it,” Zhang Shanshan said.
“Someone must have cut the wire so that they couldn’t use the Internet. The carrier came in and said it was missing a part. They replaced the cable today, and the Internet is working now,” a believer close to the family told ChinaAid.
“We’ve verified that Zhang’s Internet wire was cut intentionally, which is a crime against communication and security law. Zhang’s family told us that even after it was fixed, the connection wasn’t stable. We have reported the case to the local police, and the perpetrator should be punished by law,” said Xia Jun, the lawyer representing Zhang Shaojie and heading the delegation of 15 lawyers working on the defense of the detained believers.
The Internet wasn’t the only thing targeted. “I parked outside Zhang’s place last night and found the tires were flat this morning. I checked around and saw stab marks. I was told by a mechanic that it must have been deliberate,” the owner of the car said.
Also, a group consisting of both lawyers and believers were trapped in the Zhang home on Dec. 23 when a mob surrounded the house, refusing to allow anyone in or out.
…
[Full Story]