On 10 April family and church members finally received the verdict of the lengthy trial against Wang Honglan and eight other Christians on the charge of “illegal business operations”. The verdict from the court in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, which was dated 20 November 2024, found all defendants guilty.

Wang Honglan (pictured) , who was considered a “ringleader” in the group,  was sentenced to four years and ten months in prison and fined one million yuan (equivalent to around €120,000).  The 70-year-old grandmother, who previously spent five years in prison and one year in a labour camp on a separate charge, will be due for release on 14 February 2026.

The other eight Christians – Ji Heying, Zhang Wang, Wang Jiale, Liu Minna, Li Chao, Yang Zhijun, Ji Guolong and Liu Wei – received prison sentences ranging from one year to four years and six months, as well as fines between 5,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan (between approximately €600and €24,000). Five of the defendants have already purged their sentences in pre-trial detention, while three are due for release at different dates later this year.

Bang Yanhong, who was also part of this group and considered the other key member by the authorities, had already been sentenced to five years in prison in April 2024.

Background

The ten Christians had bought Bibles from the officially-recognised Three-Self Church and resold them to fellow Christians at a lower price. They were motivated by their faith and made a financial loss with these transactions. They were arrested in April 2021 and during detention all suffered degrees of torture and forced confessions.

Their case was delayed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic and went to trial in November 2023. It concluded in January 2024 after 49 days, but the verdict was only made public recently.

At the end of the trial when the presiding judge allowed all the defendants to make their final statements, Wang Honglan said, “Thank God for letting me live, and giving me the opportunity to speak… Presiding judge, Jesus asks me to speak the truth. Thanks to God who resurrected from death. I am afraid I am a poor talker, but I can sing. I appreciate this opportunity, and I am very grateful. The lawyers have accompanied us. Our God is almighty, and my tears are tears of gratitude. I thank the people in the audience. I lost consciousness after standing in the detention centre for two hours, but the Lord helped me stay alive. I have been through a lot, but I fear my daughter hearing about it.”

She concluded by reciting the Apostles Creed.

(Bitter Winter / China Aid)

Photo: China Aid