China Arrests Christian Lawyers a Night Before Their Meeting with Visiting US Envoy

China

The United States is calling on China to expedite the release of Christian lawyers who were detained ahead of their meeting with US envoy Rabbi David Saperstein. The lawyers were involved in providing consultation to churches in the legal battles over tearing down of crosses.

Saperstein, an ambassador for international religious freedom, called the detentions in China, "particularly alarming," and deserving "no excuse," as he was in the country between August 20 and 28, when they were arrested - just a night before he was to meet them.

"These detentions fit into the disturbing pattern of state intimidation of public interest lawyers, Internet activists, journalists, religious leaders," Saperstein told reporters.

"They clearly underscore the precariousness of religious life in China," he continued.

"It is a source of great concern to us and we are calling on the government to immediately release all these human rights activists and religious leaders."

The most well-known figure among the detainees is Christian lawyer Zhang Kai, who was put under six months of residential surveillance in Wenzhou, a south-eastern city of Zhejiang province. He is apprehended for allegedly "endangering state security" and "disturbing the public order."

Liu Xiaoyuan, a rights activist and lawyer, told the Voice of America, that the term 'residential surveillance' is meant for "usually hotels, so the investigators can contact the parties directly. The party is left alone in the room, and the investigator keeps watch on him every day. This cause more psychological stress."

Zhang's two assistants were detained as well, with subsequent arrests of 10 other Christians serving as lawyers and pastors, some of whom have been released.

Also, two months ago, Zhang was arrested along with 100 other lawyers but released after being warned not to represent church disputes.

About 1,500 Crosses were torn down in Zhejiang, even as many churches have been razed to ground.

The controversy over detainment of Christian activists emerged three weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama in US, where the issue of religious freedom may be taken up at the state-level talks.

Saperstein gave further details of the circumstances of the arrests, saying that Zhang and other Christian leaders were participating in a pre-arranged convention with him, but were rounded up the previous night, while some leaders who did see him were detained as well.