01/23/2022 China (International Christian Concern) – A house church elder in China’s Sichuan province who was arrested on Christmas Eve last year, is banned from meeting his lawyer.
Elder Wu Jiannan from Qingcaodi “Green Pastures” Church in Deyang, Sichuan, was arrested on December 24 and accused of “fraud.” It has been nearly one month since his detention, yet according to his wife, Cui Yanqin, the two times his lawyer visited his detention center, he was told that meeting with Wu is not allowed for “possible national security endangerment.”
While his lawyer attempted to overturn the meeting ban by protesting that a fraud case should not lead to such ban, he is still waiting to hear back from the authorities handling Wu’s case.
Retired church leader Hao Ming of Qingcaodi “Green Pastures” Church, a church established by the heavily persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church, was first arrested on Christmas Eve for fraud. Shortly afterwards, elder Wu Jiannan also was taken away for the same charge. The two were previously detained on November 17 along with several other church members who have since been released.
Cui sent out a prayer request on January 22, saying “Please continue to pray for elder Wu Jiannan and elder Hao Ming. I hope that the authorities will allow their lawyer to meet with them soon. I pray that God’s grace will sustain them during their days behind bars.”
