Some Christians Released; Church Leader Remains Detained

(Freedom House) – Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom hails the release by Chinese authorities of two Catholic priests and a Protestant pastor, Zhao Wenquan. However, well-known Christian evangelical leader Xu Shuangfu, founder of the independent Three Class Servants church, detained on April 26, remains in custody. In press releases last month, the Center urged the U.S. government to press Beijing for their freedom. According to China Aid, a Pennsylvania-based rights group, Zhao’s family and church members credit international pressure for his recent release and report that he was only “lightly beaten” while in jail. Zhao had been arrested in Anhui province in east-central China on May 9 during a large outdoor harvest celebration.