Chinese Police Detain Christians and Confiscate Bibles

Following coordinated raids in Hunan Province, Chinese authorities continue to detain six leaders of unregistered Christian churches. According to the organization ChinaAid, police detained several believers during raids on 11 July but have since released most of them, Premier Christian News reports.

Those detained describe lengthy interrogations, the taking of fingerprints and DNA samples, voice and video recordings, and the creation of personal surveillance files.

During house searches, police confiscated Bibles and other Christian literature. The organization also claims that authorities pressured the believers' family members to prevent them from attending worship services.

According to ChinaAid, this is further evidence of the Chinese government's ongoing campaign against unregistered Christian congregations.

During interrogations, police reportedly labeled believers who refuse to attend state-controlled churches as members of a "cult", a designation the detainees rejected.

(mja)