In 2024, at least 1,088 Christians from The Church of Almighty God (CAG) were detained in Zhejiang Province, including 28 individuals in their 80s, with the oldest being 94 years old. Police forced all detained CAG Christians to sign the “Three Statements” to renounce their faith.

Widespread, Targeted Arrests in Multiple Cities

Jinhua City had the highest number of arrests, with a total of 305 CAG Christians detained throughout the year. Among them, 114 were taken into custody over just three days—September 19, 20, and 24—while another large-scale arrest on October 24 detained 102 individuals.

In Hangzhou City, at least 169 church members were arrested throughout the year. In just October and November 2024, 142 individuals were detained, including 20 elderly devotees in their 70s. Police arrested 90 Christians over three days—October 23, 29, and 31.

Quzhou City reported at least 121 arrests in 2024, with the majority of them—114 cases—taking place in October and November. On October 15 alone, 71 Christians were detained in a single-day sweep.

Taizhou City and Ningbo City reported 169 and 91 detentions respectively over the year.

Nearly Half of Detained Christians Forced Into Indoctrination

Reportedly, out of the 1,088 Christians arrested, 492 were sent to brainwashing centers for forced indoctrination.

Police used a variety of coercive tactics to pressure Christians into blaspheming God and signing the “Three Statements” — documents renouncing their faith. Detainees were forced to watch films praising the Communist Party and videos defaming The Church of Almighty God, and were required to write reflections afterward.

Instructors relentlessly indoctrinated the Christians with ideas such as “atheism,” “the Communist Party is good,” and “believing in God is opposing the Communist Party,” forcing them to admit that their faith was a crime. Failure to comply with these demands resulted in torture, including beatings, sleep deprivation, and denial of basic physiological needs such as food and access to the restroom.