China crackdown on rapidly-growing Christian community

A Christian pastor in eastern China, who has been openly critical of a church demolition campaign faces being sentenced to 10 years in prison.
 
Huang Yizi (40), from Wenzhou in Zhejiang province was taken from his home by plainclothes police officers and faces what his supporters call a “trumped up charge”.  His lawyers say the allegation of “gathering to assault a state organ” is often used by the Chinese authorities to silence critics of the government.
 
Huang’s detention follows bloody clashes between security agents using cattle prods against Christians who were resisting the removal of a cross from their church. The Chinese authorities have been targeting the country’s Christian community which is growing rapidly and their crackdown has seen the demolition of some 200 churches.
 
Wang Hongjie, a lawyer representing Huang, says: “The government has taken a number of steps to restrict the human rights of Christians in this region and bringing pastor Huang under criminal detention is the most extreme.”

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