By Christine Khamis

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China –

A Chinese court has convicted Protestant pastor Bao Guohua and his wife Xing Wenxiang of corruption, financial crimes, and gathering people to disturb the social order.

Chinese media report that Mr. Bao and Ms. Xing have been found guilty of embezzling money from his church congregation in Zhejiang Province. They’ve been accused of “living greedy lives” by local law enforcement and state-run media, who claim that valuables and cash from church members’ donations were found in the couple’s home. Mr. Bao and Ms. Xing will serve 14 year and 12 year sentences, respectively. The court also ordered the confiscation of $92,000 from each spouse and fines totaling around $30,000.

Mr. Bao and his wife have been detained since August. A court has also sentenced 10 other people, including members of Mr. Bao’s church and potentially members of Jinhua, a Christian group. The details of those charges are not yet clear.

The couple’s arrest could be part of a government crackdown on Christianity in the region. Zhejiang Province has worked in recent years to limit the influence of Christian churches and organizations. Over 1,200 crosses have been removed from churches throughout the past two years, and some churches have been completely demolished. Authorities in the area claim that the crosses violate planning rules. Human Rights Watch reports that at least 100 Christians have been detained for resisting the cross removals.

Mr. Bao’s church had previously been officially approved by the government, but he then defied an order to take down the church’s cross. He was one of only a few government-approved pastors who defied the orders to remove crosses.

Around 60 million Protestant Christians live in China, with 23 million belonging to state-backed Three-Self Patriotic Movements. Only five religions are officially approved and may only be practiced in specific religious premises.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC News – China Pastor Who Resisted Cross Removals Jailed for Corruption – 26 February 2015

The New York Times – Pastor in China Who Resisted Cross Removal Gets 14 Years in Prison – 26 February 2016

FTC Publications – Chinese Pastor Jailed for Corruption – 26 February 2016

Radio Free Asia – China Jails Protestant Pastor Couple For 12, 14 Years – 25 February 2016