Chinese authorities have formally arrested 18 leaders of the underground Zion Church in what is described as a significant crackdown on religious freedom. According to reports by Reuters and ChinaAid, the arrests came after mid-October detentions of nearly 3,000 pastors and staff members from the church. The arrested individuals face potential prison sentences of up to three years for charges of illegal assembly and other violations.
ChinaAid, a Christian non-profit human rights organization, has stated that the leaders were arrested on politically motivated charges, accusing the government of targeting the church for refusing to comply with state oversight. Dr. Bob Fu, the founder and president of the organization, has called the arrests a “chilling milestone” in the Communist Party’s campaign against Christianity in China, saying that the leaders are being treated as criminals simply for preaching the Gospel and refusing to turn their church into a propaganda tool for the Party.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denounced the detentions of the Zion Church members in October and has called on the Chinese government to release them. Open Doors, an international organization that supports persecuted believers, estimates there are more than 96 million Christians in China.