Nine Christians were imprisoned in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region located in the northern part of China, for distributing Bibles, with sentences ranging from one to nearly five years and fines as high as 1 million yuan ($137,000).
The Christians were convicted for illegally reselling legally published Bibles through an unregistered house church, Bitter Winter reported, adding that the Hohhot Huimin District Court sentenced the nine individuals on charges of illegal business operations, concluding a highly scrutinized legal battle.
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Yang Zhijun was sentenced to four years and three months, facing a fine of ¥150,000 ($20,500). Ji Heying, Ji Guolong, Zhang Wang and Liu Wei were each sentenced to three years imprisonment, with individual fines of ¥20,000 ($2,700). Li Chao received the shortest sentence of one year and was fined ¥5,000 (roughly $685). Ban Yanhong, a key group member, had previously received a five-year sentence in April 2024.
The convictions stemmed from events beginning in April 2021, when authorities arrested 10 Christians for distributing legally published Bibles.
Though the Bibles were officially authorized and printed in Nanjing, authorities prosecuted the group for conducting unauthorized distribution through their house church.
Prosecutors contended that even legally printed religious texts became illegal when sold outside officially approved channels.
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Authorities identified Wang Honglan and Ban Yanhong as primary figures within the group. Wang Honglan had a history of previous persecutions in which he was incarcerated, including five years in prison and one year in a labor camp.
During court proceedings, the defendants underlined that their intentions were purely evangelistic rather than commercial. They reported financial losses, having purchased the Bibles at 95% of their cover price but reselling them at only 75% to facilitate broader distribution.
The decision was initially reported to relatives and fellow believers earlier this month, although the actual judgment was dated Nov. 20, 2024.
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China recently banned foreign missionaries from preaching and establishing religious organizations, justifying the move as necessary for national security. The latest restrictions, announced by the Chinese Communist Party, will take effect on May 1, intensifying the crackdown on Christianity in the country.
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Foreign clergy can only preach if officially invited by state-sanctioned religious institutions, and all preaching content must receive prior government approval.
* Original Article:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/9-christians-imprisoned-fined-over-100k-for-distributing-bibles.html
