by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – A Chinese court in Inner Mongolia has upheld prison sentences against ten Christians convicted of illegally distributing Bibles, a case highlighting Beijing’s ongoing crackdown on unregistered house churches.
On September 11, the Hohhot Intermediate People’s Court confirmed the original ruling that found the believers guilty of conducting an “illegal business operation.” The Christians had been arrested in April 2021 after purchasing legally published Bibles and reselling them at discounted prices as part of their evangelistic outreach.
Although the Bibles themselves were legally published, the court deemed their distribution unlawful because the group’s house church was not registered with the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). The TSPM, which operates under the authority of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), requires churches to adhere to strict guidelines that many independent congregations reject to remain faithful to their biblical convictions.
International Christian Concern (ICC), which has tracked the case for several years, noted that the ten Christians—identified as Wang Honglan, Ji Heying, Zhang Wang, Wang Jiale, Liu Minna, Li Chao, Yang Zhijun, Ji Guolong, Liu Wei, and Ban Yanhong—argued that their actions were not profit-driven but purely evangelistic.
In November 2024, the believers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to five years and ordered to pay heavy fines. Ban Yanhong, who pled guilty, received one of the harsher penalties. Their appeal, heard on September 5, was rejected by the court, which upheld both the prison sentences and financial penalties.
The defense attorney for the group appealed to the court’s conscience, declaring, “We do not want to see our brothers and sisters suffer, nor do we want to see others live under God’s wrath. Wang Honglan and others have helped countless families and students, benefiting society. We hope the government will respect the faith of Christians and stop persecuting and oppressing them.”
China has increasingly restricted the activities of unregistered churches, with many pastors and believers facing harassment, detention, and imprisonment. Rights advocates warn that the latest ruling underscores the CCP’s determination to tighten control over Christian activity outside of the official state church.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
After hours of tense negotiations, European Union leaders agreed to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euro loan (about $100 billion) to meet the wartorn nation’s urgent financial needs. However, they failed to reach a consensus on whether the loan should be secured using Russia’s frozen assets held in Europe.
Several people were detained for trying to interrupt a pro-Israel demonstration at Dam Square in Amsterdam attended by around 2,000 people, police and organizers said.
Five Iranian Christians have been sentenced to a combined 55 years in prison amid a broader crackdown on devout Christian believers in Iran, a strict Islamic nation, sources told Worthy News Thursday.
Egyptian Christians facing religious-based violence and discrimination are increasingly relying on underground safe houses as authorities continue to fall short on protecting minority rights, Christian advocates say.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced plans Tuesday to overhaul the U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps, arguing the institution has drifted from its original mission and lost the “faith and virtue” that defined it when it was established under George Washington more than 250 years ago.
The United States has approved $11.1 billion in new arms-sales packages for Taiwan, signaling continued security support for the island even as President Donald Trump’s administration emphasizes trade and economic engagement with China, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation late Wednesday night that would criminalize gender transition treatments for minors, marking a significant victory for conservatives who argue the federal government must step in to protect children from irreversible medical procedures.