Crime of education: Three Christians from Xuande school convicted

(Wuhu, Anhui Province – August 22, 2024) On August 16, 2024, the Yijiang District People’s Court in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, announced the verdict in the case of “illegal business operations” against Xuande School. Han Yanlei and Xie Zhifeng, who had been detained for nine months, were sentenced to nine months in prison and fined ￥5,000 yuan. Lü Zhaojin was sentenced to nine months with a one-year probation and fined ￥5,000 yuan.

The case was tried in a closed court session on the morning of August 1, 2024, at the Yijiang District People’s Court. During the trial, the prosecution argued that the Xuande School, affiliated with the Mount Carmel Church, operated without permission from the education department, thus infringing on students’ right to education. Although the school was operating at a loss, it was still considered to be for-profit, allegedly constituting the crime of illegal business operations.

The defense lawyers argued that according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international conventions, minors also have the right to religious freedom, and parents have the right to choose the type of education for their children. The defendants did not force any parents to send their children to the school and did not deprive the children of their right to education but instead provided more choices and broader horizons. They argued that materialist education in public schools cannot guarantee children’s rights to religious beliefs. Some students who attended Xuande School developed serious physical and mental problems after the school was disbanded. Additionally, the defendants only received salaries and had no plans for dividends or profit-making, thus not constituting illegal business operations.

One of the defense lawyers mentioned the Christian tradition of valuing education, including missionaries establishing many schools and hospitals in China. The entire country has benefited from this, so how can Christians educating children be considered illegal business operations? The lawyers felt that the entire trial process was relatively peaceful.

In recent years, Christian schools founded by house churches in mainland China have frequently been raided and shut down, with Xuande School being just one example. On May 27, 2021, Xuande School, founded by Mount Carmel Church, was raided by police and other departments. Teachers Wan Hongxia, Han Yanlei, and Xie Zhifeng were taken away, and another teacher, Wang Minghai, was also arrested at the hospital where he worked.

The four teachers were sent to detention centers that day and formally arrested the next day on suspicion of “illegal business operations.” Six other teachers were released on bail later. Subsequently, the Wuhu City Civil Affairs Bureau announced the closure of the Mount Carmel Church, to which Xuande School belonged. In early August of the same year, the four teachers were formally arrested by the Yijiang Branch of the Wuhu Public Security Bureau on suspicion of “illegal business operations.”

On February 28, 2022, Han Yanlei and Xie Zhifeng were released on bail. Wang Minghai and Wan Hongxia were formally indicted by the prosecutor’s office and transferred to the court for trial. A closed trial was held on January 12, 2023. The trial results were not announced in court, but with the efforts of lawyers, Wang Minghai and Wan Hongxia were placed under residential surveillance at a designated residence and left the detention center to return home on that day.

As Han Yanlei and Xie Zhifeng had already been detained for 9 months, all three Christians were able to return home from the day of the verdict on August 16, 2024, without further imprisonment.