Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown
Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.
WENZHOU, CHINA — Hundreds of Christians in China are expected to spend Christmas in detention following a large-scale police operation in Zhejiang Province, according to a report by the religious freedom group ChinaAid. Beginning December 13, authorities deployed more than 1,000 police officers, SWAT teams, and anti-riot units to Yayang Town in Wenzhou City, where churches were raided and believers detained over several days.
ChinaAid reports that roads to local churches were blocked, property was confiscated, and hundreds of Christians were taken in for questioning, with additional detentions continuing through December 17. Two church leaders, Lin Enzhao and Lin Enci, were identified as key suspects and charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge frequently used against religious dissenters.
The arrests come amid broader efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to tighten control over religious life under its policy of “sinicization,” which critics say has led to increased pressure, surveillance, and arrests of unregistered Christian communities nationwide.
Previously, the UOJ reported that immediately after being released from jail, Met. Arseny was detained again by the Ukrainian Security Service.
