Overview
- Coordinated police operations between October 10 and 12 detained at least 30 pastors and leaders linked to the unregistered Zion Church across multiple cities, according to church accounts.
- Founder Jin Mingri is being held in Beihai on suspicion of “illegal use of information networks,” an accusation detailed in an official detention notice.
- Family members say lawyers have been barred from meeting detainees and report health concerns for Jin, who requires diabetes medication.
- Beijing introduced a September code that confines online preaching to licensed platforms, which rights groups say is now being used to target house churches.
- The U.S. and Germany called for immediate releases as China’s foreign ministry defended its approach as lawful; advocates describe the sweep as the largest in years, with most detainees still held and a few reported releases.