Elder Zhang Chunlei of Guiyang Ren’ai Reformed Church Appeals Against Verdict

(Guiyang, Guizhou Province – August 14, 2024) Recently, Elder Zhang Chunlei of Guiyang Ren’ai Reformed Church has appealed to the Guizhou Province Higher People’s Court against the verdict of the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and two years for “fraud”, with a combined sentence of five years for adhering to his faith.

Zhang Chunlei stated that he does not accept the conviction of inciting subversion of state power. Regarding the fraud conviction, he feels it’s a brutal trampling of religious belief, equating donations to ill-gotten gains and the church to a den of thieves, which he firmly rejects. He emphasized that pastors in Reformed churches do not directly manage finances and have systems in place to prevent corruption.

The five alleged victims identified in the first trial had not previously reported to the police or asked the church to return donations. None of them received a notice of victims’ rights and obligations or a court summons, nor were they granted permission to appear in court. All of these violate legal procedures, making it impossible to reach a fair judgment.

Moreover, these alleged victims all testified in records or meeting minutes that they were aware of the church’s ban. Religious affairs bureau also announced the ban decision in front of the entire congregation, and the church frequently taught about the position of house churches.

Elder Zhang Chunlei once said: “Without reverence, there are no bottom lines. A mindset that only cares about success and failure, not right and wrong, inevitably leads to a society where the ends justify the means. When truth is denied, distorted, or impersonated, lies dress up as ‘truth’ and take center stage, running rampant.”

The first-instance court’s decision to report to the Supreme People’s Court for determining whether Zhang Chunlei constituted the crime of inciting subversion of state power also violates the judicial principle of independent trial by courts at all levels.

Zhang Chunlei stated that being imprisoned for the Lord is a great honor, and being persecuted for righteousness is blessed. He repeatedly reminded the congregation and his family to be joyful.

He believes that after temporarily suffering, God will personally comfort him. This is actually love from God. He sometimes lacks love for those handling the case. In fact, even the souls of Communist Party members need redemption, and every soul is precious. Whether they accept it or not, we do our duty. Through the iron bars, the gray-haired man said, we must love, forgive, and be joyful.

At the end of 2023, Elder Zhang Chunlei was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in prison, but his lawyer and family only learned of this in early May this year. Liver cirrhosis is known to easily lead to complications and can even threaten life expectancy. Zhang Chunlei’s wife, Yang Aiqing, stated that before imprisonment, Elder Zhang had no record of liver diseases. Before the verdict, the defense lawyer, on behalf of the family, applied for Zhang Chunlei’s release on bail, which was rejected by the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court. Yang Aiqing is deeply concerned about her husband’s health condition.