Chinese authorities have formally arrested Protestant pastor Huang Yizi on charges of “illegal business operations,” part of the Chinese Communist Party’s intensifying crackdown on unregistered Christian activity.
“Pastor Huang Yizi was informed of his formal arrest this week, more than a month after he and four others were taken into custody by Pingyang Public Security officials on June 26,” U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported. The believers, from Zhejiang Province, were detained the following day.
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As reported by The Christian Post, “Two of the five were released on bail last Friday, while the remaining three, including Huang, remain in custody. The charges against the other detainees have not been made public. A sixth church member was detained on July 17 and remains in custody.”
Under China’s Criminal Procedure Law, authorities must request a formal arrest within 30 days. Huang’s representative said the arrest was rushed through suspiciously, raising “concerns about the depth of the review and the lack of official documentation.”
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This is not Huang’s first imprisonment. He previously served a year in prison in 2014 for protesting the demolition of church crosses in Wenzhou and was later held again on charges of “endangering national security.”
The Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group condemned the regime’s use of vague accusations like “illegal business operations” to suppress pastors, stressing that sharing sermons is a constitutionally protected expression of faith.
Pastor Huang’s arrest highlights the growing cost of following Christ in China, where Christians face intimidation, prison and the confiscation of religious materials.
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We must continue to pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ suffering under the heavy hand of communism. Pray that they are strengthened to endure persecution, and that their oppressors encounter the radical, transforming power of Jesus Christ.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
