Overview
- Eighteen Zion Church leaders were formally arrested on Nov. 18 on charges of illegally using information networks, exposing them to potential prison terms of up to three years.
- The arrests advance a criminal investigation that began after police detained nearly 30 pastors and staff members nationwide in mid-October.
- Five detainees were released in October and four more were placed on bail around Nov. 10, according to relatives and advocates cited in reporting.
- The group, including founder Pastor Jin Mingri, is held in detention centers in Beihai, where family members have raised concerns about health needs and access to lawyers.
- ChinaAid condemned the charges as politically motivated as Chinese authorities did not publicly comment, and Zion Church’s rapid online growth during the pandemic had drawn scrutiny under new curbs on digital religious activity.