TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. Overview
  • 1.1 The CCP Continued Its Religious Persecution Through the 2020 COVID-19 Epidemic
  • 1.2 Overview of the CCP’s Persecution of The Church of Almighty God
• 2. Summary of the Nature of the CCP’s Persecution
  • 2.1 CCP Exploited Epidemic Control Measures to Hunt Down CAG Christians
  • 2.2 CCP Launched a National “All-Out War” and a Minimum of 7,055 CAG Christians Were Arrested in 2020
  • 2.3 At Least 21 CAG Christians Were Persecuted to Death in 2020
  • 2.4 At Least 1,098 CAG Christians Were Sentenced in 2020, the Longest Prison Term Being 15 Years
  • 2.5 CCP Carried Out Extensive, Violent Brainwashing on Christians to Force Them to Renounce Their Faith
  • 2.6 CCP Continued Investigating and Extraditing CAG Christians Who Fled Overseas
• 3. The International Community Continued to Take Note of the Persecution of CAG
• 4. Conclusion
• Annex: 17 Selected Typical Cases in 2020
  • 1) CAG Christians Persecuted to Death
  • 2) CAG Christians’ Brutal Torture by the CCP
  • 3) The CCP Hunted and Offered Rewards for CAG Christians
  • 4) The CCP Plundered Church Funds and Christians’ Personal Assets
  • 5) The CCP Arbitrarily Detained and Imprisoned CAG Christians

Note：Cover Image Reconstructing the Persecution CAG Christians Suffered

Some aliases are used in this report for the sake of protecting the involved Christians and their families. All aliases are marked with an asterisk * to distinguish them from real names.

1. Overview

1.1 The CCP Continued Its Religious Persecution Through the 2020 COVID-19 Epidemic

The Chinese Communist Party’s coverup of the novel coronavirus put the entire world in peril in 2020. In the face of this disaster, as the people struggled just to get by, the CCP insisted on putting the maintenance of its totalitarian rule first and intensified its efforts to maintain stability, viewing religious beliefs as a “major threat” to its absolute rule. Its persecution intensified rather than eased, and even during periods of quarantine due to the virus, it still never stopped tearing down churches, temples, crosses, and images of Buddha, even fully eradicating buildings with hallmarks of Islam. Within a six-month period in Jiangxi Province’s city of Shangrao, at least 400 Christian venues were targeted to varying degrees, some demolished and others forced to close;^[1] in the first half of the year in Anhui Province, at least 900 crosses were torn down from officially approved churches.^[2] The CCP also arrested Christians who were members of house churches,^[3]brutally tortured Catholic priests who were conscientious objectors,^[4] and gave heavy sentences to anyone involved in publishing^[5] or selling^[6] religious materials, continuing its extensive assault on religious beliefs.

Fighting the virus became the CCP’s new pretext for its fight against faith. Between January and March, authorities in Pizhou City, Jiangsu Province, cleared out and closed at least 111 Christian gathering sites on the grounds of controlling the epidemic, also destroying religious symbols.^[7] Any official religious venues that wished to be reopened had to sing the praises of the Communist Party,^[8] and preachers, forced to disseminate CCP ideology, also distorted the Bible.^[9] The CCP struck hard against The Church of Almighty God, designating it as a covert threat to national political security, something the CCP needs to fight against for the people of China and their hearts. It entered residences to conduct searches and arrest Christians from The Church of Almighty God under the guise of controlling the epidemic. In September, it even launched an “all-out war,” leading to the arrests of at least 7,055 CAG members throughout the year.

In a speech delivered in Rome in September, then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, remarking on the state of religious persecution in China, said, “Nowhere is religious freedom under assault more than it is inside of China today.” ^[10]

1.2 Overview of the CCP’s Persecution of The Church of Almighty God

The Church of Almighty God (CAG) is a new Christian church in China which came into being because of the appearance and work of Almighty God. Since its establishment in 1991, it has suffered frantic suppression at the hands of the CCP. In 1995, the CCP added The Church of Almighty God, the Shouters, the All Range Church and many other Christian house churches on its xie jiao list, and began to cruelly suppress and persecute them. Since 2018, cracking down on banned religious groups has been among the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission’s ten major operations to safeguard national political security, and its efforts in this regard continue to escalate. According to incomplete statistics, just between 2011 and the end of 2020, more than 420,000 CAG Christians were arrested by the Chinese authorities, and the documented number of believers who have died as a result of persecution since the Church’s establishment has reached 192.

In February 2020, in the early days of the outbreak, a political and legal affairs commission in a Shaanxi Province’s city issued a confidential document, which called for a ramping up of the work to “maintain stability” during the epidemic, and particularly to intensify the strike against CAG.

In Anhui Province in July, a circular was issued calling for stronger ideological control of citizens during the epidemic; it advocated going beyond control of public discourse to prevent Christian groups from “taking advantage of the situation to promulgate” Christian ideas, and “fighting [the CCP] for the people’s hearts.” The Church of Almighty God was named as one of the main targets for the crackdown.

The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission issued a confidential document in September, calling for a three-year “all-out war” against The Church of Almighty God to achieve three strategic objectives: “utter annihilation” of CAG’s domestic network of churches; preventing new church memberships by banning church activities and ensuring present CAG membership is “greatly reduced;” thwarting the growth of CAG abroad.^[11]

Chen Yixing, Secretary General of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, when issuing directives in a nationwide working meeting on combating The Church of Almighty God, pointed out that the Church has millions of members within China, is growing overseas, and possesses a “fully equipped network.” He thus identified The Church of Almighty God as currently being “the most prominent potential threat” to the CCP, and so launched this “all-out war.”

Confidential documents were issued in Shanxi, Jiangsu, Henan, Inner Mongolia, and other regions, all demanding an ongoing campaign against The Church of Almighty God, clarification on the identities and numbers of church leaders, and the establishment of special teams for investigations and strike operations. Conversion plans were also required to be outlined for “one person, one policy” brainwashing efforts.

In spite of the ravages of the epidemic, the CCP continued to carry out arrests, residential searches and confiscation of property, brutal torture, brainwashing and conversion, and long-term monitoring and harassment of CAG Christians on a massive scale. Incomplete statistics suggest that in 2020, there were at least 42,807 CAG Christians who were directly persecuted by authorities. Figures indicate that at a minimum, 7,055 suffered arrest, 5,587 were subjected to torture or brainwashing, and 1,098 were given prison sentences. Of these, 360 received sentences of three years or more, 57 received sentences of seven years or more, and three were given heavy sentences of 10 years or more. One of those given a very heavy sentence was Jiang Yanghua, a Christian from Aksu City in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, who was sentenced to 15 years. At least 21 Christians were persecuted to death. Additionally, at a minimum 35,752 were subjected to harassment, including being forced to write guarantees to relinquish their faith; being photographed, recorded, and surveilled without their consent; collection of their biological data such as fingerprints, blood samples, and hair; being cut off from basic social security; they and their family members being stripped of their right to employment. This is not an exhaustive list. The European human rights organizations, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF)^[12] and the Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ADHRRF)^[13] have published the information of 4,704 CAG members detained in the year 2020 in their database of prisoners of conscience. A total of at least RMB 270 million (approximately USD $40.48 million) in assets (including church and personal assets) were illegally appropriated from The Church of Almighty God and its members by the CCP in 2020.

2. Summary of the Nature of the CCP’s Persecution

2.1 CCP Exploited Epidemic Control Measures to Hunt Down CAG Christians

Throughout the novel coronavirus epidemic, the CCP openly called for a two-pronged attack against both the virus and religious beliefs,^[14]making efforts to prevent even more citizens from accepting the gospel during the catastrophe. Operations to counter evangelizing as well as to spur reporting, investigations, and arrests have been rolled out in tandem with the virus prevention work. Authorities have called for using home inspections for “epidemic control” as a golden opportunity to distribute anti-evangelism materials to “every single home.” ^[15] They have also taken the opportunity to enter private homes and set up checkpoints in order to apprehend CAG Christians.

On February 1, just as the epidemic was at a peak in China, the Public Security Bureau in Liulin County, Lyuliang City in Shanxi Province was launching a special crackdown campaign against The Church of Almighty God and inciting the people to report on CAG Christians.^[16]

A document issued by a city in northwestern China in March demanded a serious offensive effort during the epidemic to follow any clues relating to The Church of Almighty God, to “plumb the depths of the leads” and “get every last one of them.”

In April, a Shaanxi locality released a document ordering the implementation of the central government’s critical directives regarding safeguarding national political security: to interrogate and convert any CAG Christians discovered during the epidemic, to more deeply burrow into the church network, and to boost “the strike’s battle victories.”

Incomplete statistics suggest that at least 847 CAG Christians were arrested between February and April of 2020, many of whom were apprehended as a result of the CCP’s anti-epidemic household checks or identity card checkpoints. The police extracted information on the Church from them through cruel tactics such as administering electric shocks and handcuffing them painfully, with one arm over a shoulder and one twisted up from below.^[17]

While using investigations for epidemic control as a means to arrest Christians, documents were issued in areas including Shaanxi, Henan, and Jiangsu which ordered stabilization measures for the sensitive periods during the epidemic, such as ramping up surveillance of known CAG Christians and entering their homes for investigations. Incomplete statistics suggest that between February and April, at least 8,462 CAG Christians across China suffered harassment by government officials, and attempts were made to force large numbers to sign the “three statements” (a statement of repentance, a statement of guarantee, and a statement of severing ties), declaring they were giving up their faith. Refusal meant being forced into a brainwashing course or receiving a prison sentence.

2.2 CCP Launched a National “All-Out War” and a Minimum of 7,055 CAG Christians Were Arrested in 2020

The CCP’s sweeping arrest operations targeting The Church of Almighty God never ceased. Particularly after the release of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission’s confidential document on the implementation of the three-year “all-out war” in September, special crackdown operations across the country became more common and the number of arrested Christians soared. For September through December, the figure for the arrested ones reached 4,093, accounting for 58% of arrests of CAG Christians for the entire year. Out of all provinces in China, the most severe persecution was suffered in Henan; the confirmed number of arrests as of December 31, 2020 was 1,331. Some regions (such as Xinjiang) are under such strict CCP surveillance and control that they have become entirely restricted zones, from which it is impossible to extract data regarding persecution. The information below represents just a portion of the arrest operations in various provinces and cities throughout China.

Arrest operations were launched in multiple Sichuan Province cities in February, in which at least 142 CAG Christians were arrested. In one interrogation, the police threatened a Christian, saying if she held to her faith, they would send her to the COVID-19 epicenter in Hubei to be infected with the “Wuhan virus.”^[18]

On May 16, municipal police in Linfen City, Shanxi Province carried out a coordinated arrest operation against CAG Christians in four areas under its jurisdiction: Xi County, Daning, Yicheng, and Fushan. The most recent figures show that over 100 Christians were arrested in just two days.^[19]。

At least 84 Christians were arrested in an anti-CAG arrest operation carried out by Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province police in September. Some of the Christians involved were subjected to various methods of torture, including electrical shocks, for refusing to provide information on the church.

Between October 10 and 26, Anhui Province authorities carried out a comprehensive arrest operation on CAG Christians, facilitated by long-term tracking and surveillance. At least 135 Christians were arrested in the region, including in Hefei, Anqing, and Xuancheng.

On October 28, the Shandong Provincial Department of Public Security convened a meeting regarding the suppression of The Church of Almighty God in the name of “cleaning up gang crime and eliminating evil.” According to incomplete statistics, in October and November at least 230 Christians were arrested just in the three areas of Qingdao, Heze, and Zibo. Of those, at least 120 were arrested in Zibo on November 11.^[20]A minimum of 144 Christians were arrested in Tai’an City between September and November.

On November 10, police launched a major arrest operation against The Church of Almighty God in Xixia County, Nanyang City located in Henan Province, arresting 160 Christians that day. In some parts of Henan, rewards between RMB 1,000 and 6,000 (approximately USD $150 to $900) were offered to incite the public to report CAG Christians.

On December 3, 200 Christians in Zhejiang Province were arrested as part of a coordinated arrest operation targeting The Church of Almighty God, jointly launched by public security agencies. Some of these Christians had already been under police surveillance for nearly a year.

Chart: Numbers of CAG Christians Arrested Nationwide in 2020 (by Month)

Below is a table of (incomplete) statistics showing numbers of CAG Christians who have been arrested, detained, held in custody, and sentenced throughout 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) of China.

Table 1: Numbers of CAG Christians Arrested, Detained, Sentenced and Remaining in Custody in 2020

2.3 At Least 21 CAG Christians Were Persecuted to Death in 2020

Incomplete statistics reveal that at least 21 CAG Christians died in 2020 as a result of CCP’s persecution. Some died because of brutal interrogations with torture; some were subjected to abuse and torture while in custody, causing them to fall heavily ill and eventually pass away; some developed illnesses in prison and were refused medical treatment and forced to continue performing hard labor, thus worsening their conditions and leading to their deaths; some became seriously ill while they were fugitives, and, afraid to seek treatment, their conditions deteriorated and they died; some ended their own lives out of desperation after years of CCP’s oppression and pursuit.

The following is a brief and incomplete summary of some CAG Christians who died in 2020 as a result of persecution.

Table 2: Brief Information of CAG Christians Persecuted to Death in 2020 (Incomplete)

2.4 At Least 1,098 CAG Christians Were Sentenced in 2020, the Longest Prison Term Being 15 Years

Sentences given to CAG Christians by the CCP judiciary in 2020 became harsher on average, with the longest being 15 years. Internal CCP policies play a decisive role in the courts’ sentences. Courts and procuratorates in many areas joined in the effort to suppress The Church of Almighty God in order to carry out the directives of the Central Committee’s three-year “all-out war” outlined in its internal document. They required “strengthened leadership in handling of cases,” “unified thinking on law enforcement,” and “good education and management of the lawyers concerned.” Many lawyers have stated that defending any case involving The Church of Almighty God is utterly useless.

Throughout the course of law enforcement and judicial processes, the CCP generally detains CAG Christians for overly long periods, denies visitation rights for relatives, and holds court hearings without notifying relatives or releasing the judgment,^[21] making it difficult to obtain a full picture of the sentencing situation. Incomplete statistics show that in 2020, at least 1,098 CAG Christians were sentenced on charge of “using a xie jiao organization to undermine the enforcement of the law” for participating in faith-related activities or having faith-related materials in their home. Of those, 360 were sentenced to three years or more, 57 were sentenced to seven years or more, and Jiang Yanghua, a Christian in the city of Aksu, Xinjiang, was sentenced to 15 years merely for “gathering others together.”^[22]Shandong Province saw more sentences for CAG Christians than any other at 312, while 124 were sentenced in Jiangsu Province. Jiang Guangmei, a young CAG Christian from Yunnan Province, was just 17 years old at the time of her arrest. She was given a sentence of three years on June 29, 2020, when she had already been in custody for one year and eight months.^[23] Two other 17-year-olds, one from Tianjin City and the other from Fujian Province, were also kept in custody beyond the legal term, and handed heavy sentences, one for three years and the other for three and a half years. The European human rights organizations, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) and the Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ADHRRF) have also published information on 4,704 CAG Christians who were detained in 2020. Among them, 3,931 were female, accounting for 83%; 45 were given sentences of ten years or more; 2,628 had already been held for a year or longer, and what their sentences may be is still unknown.^[24]

2.5 CCP Carried Out Extensive, Violent Brainwashing on Christians to Force Them to Renounce Their Faith

The CCP has made “religious conversion” one of its principal endeavors, trying to force Christians into giving up their faith. In addition to setting up dedicated brainwashing facilities, they have also demanded that detention centers, jails, prisons, residential communities, and low-level governments carry out conversion tasks. Many different departments subject CAG Christians to brutal torture as well as long-term harassment and maltreatment in an effort to meet their conversion quotas.

2.5.1 Christians Suffered Long-Term Torture and Abuse As Prisons Tried to Meet Their Conversion Quotas

In April 2019, the General Office of the CCP Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued a document entitled “Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Prison Work” that made particular mention of ramping up reform efforts for members of religious groups, including CAG Christians: “raise the rate of successful transformation, and solidify the positive results of transformation.” This has led to an even further deterioration in the plight of imprisoned CAG Christians.^[25]

Yang Yi*, born in Zhejiang Province in 1960, was arrested and sentenced to two and a half years in prison because of her faith. She was released in early 2020. While serving her time, because she refused to sign the “three statements,” the prison guards arranged for her to be tortured by “escorts” (violent criminals who are used by prison guards to apply pressure on prisoners of conscience to convert).^[26] One tactic they employed was twisting or knocking on iron clamps they had applied to her nipples. They tortured her this way for four straight days, approximately 10 hours a day. Her nipples were left ravaged, with blood seeping through her underclothing. The escorts also sprayed disinfectant on her nipples, causing her stabbing pain. In the dead of winter, they tore her padded jacket off of her and poured a menthol-based mosquito repellent in her underwear, rubbed tiger balm on her genitals, and kicked her ruthlessly in the genitals and the anus. Her wounds from being kicked felt as if they were on fire when coming into contact with the mosquito repellent and tiger balm. They also rubbed mosquito repellent, chili powder, and disinfectant solution in her eyes, mouth, and nose; they placed walnut shells with the sharp edges facing up inside her shoes and had her put them on, then forcefully stomped on and pressed down on her feet; they poured water into her mouth from a urine bucket; they stabbed her fingers with the point of a pen until she bled; they forced her to stand with a large book pressed against each thigh and beat her if a book slipped down; they wrote blasphemous things on her face, the backs of her hands, and bottom of her feet. They did all this and more. Since her release, Yang Yi’s eyes have still remained inflamed and her vision is blurry. This is untreatable.

Liu Lan*, a woman from Zhejiang Province born in 1966, was released from prison in 2020 after serving a two-year-and-a-half sentence for believing in God. She suffered brutal torture and brainwashing while in prison, and her abuse was amplified by the prison guards and her “escorts” due to the fact that she insisted her faith was not a crime. In an effort to force her to sign documents renouncing her faith, her escorts sprayed chili pepper juice on her face and smothered her with pillows and towels with multiple people holding her down. She was unable to breathe, lost control of her bladder and bowels, and fell into a state of confusion. Her jaw was dislocated and the pain from her ribs being crushed persisted for four months. She was also deprived of sleep for 10 consecutive days, punished by being forced to stand in the direct sun on one leg, and salt was rubbed in her wounds after she had been dragged along the ground until her buttocks were rubbed raw. Chili oil was rubbed in her eyes, she was denied food for days on multiple occasions, she was given heavy labor loads, and more.

2.5.2 Frequent Deaths Due to Community Conversion Attempts

Even once they are released, CAG Christians find they are long-term targets of government surveillance and conversion efforts. The CCP requires relevant personnel in the Public Security Bureau Party Committee, the civil police, and the judicial office to “guarantee conversion” for each “key person” from The Church of Almighty God that they are responsible for within their district. They not only must maintain in-person surveillance or install monitoring equipment to ensure they are not participating in any faith-based activities, but must also “mobilize the strength of the people and their loved ones to join the conversion effort.” Government personnel use tactics to exert long-term pressure to force CAG Christians into giving up their faith, such as stripping them and their relatives of their right to work and their children’s right to an education, revoking their basic living allowance, and inciting relatives to monitor them. This kind of far-reaching enforced “conversion” places immense psychological pressure on Christians and drives some to suicide.

Hua Shiyan*, a CAG Christian from Shaanxi Province, was arrested in December 2012 for spreading the gospel and she was left with a criminal record. After her release, she and her family were subjected to years of police harassment. Her family members attempted to get her criminal record expunged through personal connections, but the government personnel said that even if she were paralyzed and had just one breath left, they still wouldn’t let her go. In 2020, her son found himself unable to rise through the ranks as a government department cadre due to his implication, and began closely monitoring her to keep her from reading any faith-related literature, and, under government pressure, her other relatives, who were afraid their children and grandchildren would suffer the consequences, also attempted to force her to give up her faith. Unable to withstand the government’s persecution, Hua Shiyan confided in another Christian a number of times, saying that persecution was even more painful for her than being imprisoned. In November, unable to cope any longer, she jumped into a lake and ended her life at the age of 62.

2.5.3 Transformation Through Education Courses

In May 2020, the majority of the more than 100 Christians arrested in a coordinated arrest operation in Linfen City, Shanxi Province, were initially sent to a brainwashing facility—the “Linfen Care Center.” Afraid to let even one slip through their grasp, some nonbeliever family members were also arrested and sent for brainwashing by the police. Christians who spoke out against CCP doctrine were immediately smacked in the face viciously, and those who refused to sign the “three statements” were subjected to torture such as being deprived of sleep, having their fingers stabbed with toothpicks, and being brutally beaten. Those released were menacingly warned to maintain confidentiality regarding the “Care” Center.^[27]Internal CCP documents reveal that authorities in Shanxi Province have requested that greater efforts be put into building “care homes”—transformation through education bases—and promoting experiences of transformation through education.

A document shows^[28] that in the infamous transformation through education camps in Xinjiang, it is not only millions of Uighur Muslims being held, but also CAG Christians. There is no limit to their detention period, but it continues until they renounce their faith. When Christians refuse to do so, they are subjected to all manner of torture including electric shocks, being handcuffed and hung from their wrists, being deprived of sleep and food, and not being allowed to relieve themselves. Some have nearly been sexually assaulted.^[29]

2.6 CCP Continued Investigating and Extraditing CAG Christians Who Fled Overseas

Throughout 2020, the CCP continued its investigations of CAG Christians who had fled overseas due to the persecution they faced in China. In June, a city in northwestern China issued a document detailing a strike against The Church of Almighty God, calling for a full investigation on anyone who had left China as well as any passport applications in recent years by persons deemed suspect. A similar document was also issued in a Henan Province region in 2020, demanding an in-depth investigation into CAG members who had exited China and to immediately stand in the way of anyone with intentions to exit China. For those who had already left and had not returned, controls at the border were to be immediately set up and measures to deal with their return established right away. As for those who had traveled abroad and already returned, their whereabouts were to be investigated without delay and then measures taken against them.

The CCP also continued to harass and threaten family members of CAG Christians who had escaped abroad. These family members were pushed into going overseas under the guise of “looking for lost relatives,” in an effort to manufacture outrage and pressure the countries of asylum into extraditing the CAG refugees. In early 2020, the parents of a Christian who had fled the country to escape persecution had black hoods placed over their heads by National Security Bureau personnel and were then taken into a room for secret talks. These government employees demanded that they go abroad to “look for a lost relative” and said that all costs would be covered by the government. They also threatened them, saying that their daughter would never be able to return to China if they didn’t cooperate, and warned them against revealing any information about the matter.

The CCP took screenshots of Christians from CAG gospel films and posted individuals’ images online, urging the public to report the personal information of these Christians. One CAG Christian from Heilongjiang Province who had already fled the country became pursued by police because of his appearance in gospel films. His son and daughter-in-law, who were still in China, were arrested and interrogated. The police claimed his father had been involved in the filming of “anti-Party videos.” His son fled his home to evade being arrested again by the CCP, and his daughter-in-law, Zhang Wenrong, was repeatedly harassed by police officers demanding to know her family members’ whereabouts, and threatening that her 3-year-old son would also be implicated and his future destroyed. Unable to bear the psychological stress of her family being pursued and the police’s constant questioning, she became ill. Her condition deteriorated and eventually became liver failure. She passed away on May 18, 2020 at just 33 years old.^[30]

3. The International Community Continued to Take Note of the Persecution of CAG

The US Department of State’s 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom, released on June 10, 2020, cites data and a number of cases documenting the CCP’s widespread arrests and severe persecution of Christians from The Church of Almighty God.^[31]

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a list of 412 prisoners of conscience as of the end of December 2020. These include Christians from Christian house churches, Uighur Muslims, Buddhists, and more; 224 CAG Christians are among them.^[32]

On January 13, 2021, the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party Human Rights Commission released a report entitled “The Darkness Deepens: The Crackdown on Human Rights in China 2016-2020,” documenting the facts surrounding the CCP’s extensive suppression and persecution of The Church of Almighty God.^[33]

On February 24, 2020, representatives from multiple non-governmental organizations as well as religious institutions and citizens concerned about religious freedom, including the Center for Studies on New Religions, Human Rights Without Frontiers, European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom, and European Federation for Freedom of Belief, signed a joint letter calling on governments worldwide to take note of the severe persecution suffered by The Church of Almighty God in China.^[34]

In February 2020, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a London-based organization, released a report on religious persecution in China including data and cases exposing the CCP’s crimes of persecution against The Church of Almighty God.^[35]

In March 2020, the judgment described in The Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China, carried out in London, mentioned arrests of CAG members for the possession of faith-related literature or proselytization as well as the brutal torture they are subjected to, even persecution to the point of death. This judgment also referenced evidence that Christians from a house church Eastern Lightning were being forcibly tested for their organs.^[36]

The non-governmental organization Human Rights Without Frontiers released the report “In Prison for Their Faith 2020” in September of that year, which contains a long account of the persecution of The Church of Almighty God by the CCP. The report states, “Any movement that experiences rapid growth is perceived as a threat by the CCP. This is the case with the CAG, which was declared an illegal xie jiao in 1995. Thousands of their members have been imprisoned in the last 25 years.” And finally, the report makes this appeal: “Countries where CAG members have filed for asylum should not deport them back to China and instead grant them political asylum.”^[37]。

Amidst the large quantity of data released regarding the persecution of The Church of Almighty God and appeals from the international community, the overall global rate of approved asylum applications for CAG Christians increased by 3%, but it is still just 15.7%. The CCP applied relentless pressure on foreign countries through diplomatic, political, and economic means and wantonly disseminated fake news about CAG. It even signed secret agreements with Western democratic countries, interfering in refugees’ cases^[38] and hindering the asylum applications of a number of Christians. As of December 2020, the approval rate of CAG’s refugee applications in France was just 9.5%, and 236 of those had received departure orders. In Spain, not a single one of 591 asylum applications had been approved; in Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, the asylum application approval rate also stood at zero, and out of over 1,000 applicants in South Korea, 179 had received departure orders. CAG Christians extradited to China faced arrest, imprisonment, and torture, even to the point of death, as soon as they returned. In her article “The Church of Almighty God Refugees: Remember Them on World Refugee Day,” Rosita Šorytė, the president of the International Observatory of Religious Liberty of Refugees, made the following appeal: “Authorities in democratic states should raise their voice against religious persecution in China. But there is something they can do immediately: open their arms to those escaping from China.”^[39]

4. Conclusion

Since coming to power, the CCP has relentlessly and frenziedly suppressed Christianity and Catholicism, and it has been brutally persecuting The Church of Almighty God since the appearance and work of Almighty God in 1991. It has released multiple confidential documents declaring “Troops Won’t Be Withdrawn Until the Purge Is Complete.” Thousands upon thousands of CAG Christians have been sentenced and undergo unremitting torture and abuse while in prison, very often to the point of disability or death. Even in the face of multiple disasters in 2020 including major floods and the novel coronavirus epidemic, as the people struggled to maintain their livelihoods, the CCP still turned a blind eye. It intensified its persecution of religious beliefs, rolling out nationwide suppression operations, aiming to entirely eradicate The Church of Almighty God. This amply shows that as long as the CCP remains in existence, it will not cease in its persecution of Christians for even a single day—its savage goal is to drive Christians to extinction. Christians from The Church of Almighty God in China face the CCP’s maniacal suppression, and for those abroad, the threat of being forcibly extradited to China. For the purpose of defending the fundamental human right of religious freedom, we are openly sharing the facts we have learned about this persecution in an effort to gain the support of the international community and human rights organizations.

Annex: 17 Selected Typical Cases in 2020

1) CAG Christians Persecuted to Death

Case 1

Qin Shiqin, female, born in 1969, was a native of Qingdao City in Shandong Province. She joined The Church of Almighty God in 2002. On August 10, 2020, Qin Shiqin was arrested while giving faith-related materials to another Christian. After being held at the police station for 10 days, she was taken to an emergency room, propped up by two officers. When they arrived she had already stopped breathing. Her family members rushed to the hospital as soon as they found out, but she was already dead. In the morgue, they saw that her entire face was swollen and there was blood in the corners of her mouth. When they attempted to inquire into the circumstances surrounding her death, they found that the police were suppressing her medical records and they were unable to view them. In an effort to avoid any trouble, the police later paid reparations of RMB 200,000 (approximately USD $30,000) to settle the murder case privately. Her family was threatened that if they filed a grievance, their children’s ability to attend university or find employment would be impacted. Qin Shiqin’s family had no choice but to give up on exercising their legal rights.^[40]

Case 2

Zou Jihuang, male, born in 1954, was a resident of Yichang City in Hubei Province. He joined The Church of Almighty God in 2008. On June 19, 2017, Zou Jihuang was arrested by CCP police for his faith. After nearly a year in a detention center he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver; a doctor warned that without immediate treatment, his condition would worsen and he would develop liver ascites. Not only did the CCP not allow him to receive treatment, but forced him to perform heavy labor for 12 hours and participate in military training for three hours every day. He was struck every time his movements were not correct. He could not eat his fill and his clothing was inadequate to keep him warm, and he was even forced to take cold showers in the winter. His condition steadily deteriorated as a result of this inhuman torture. For 10 consecutive days in January 2019, Zou Jihuang was unable to consume any food or water and had a high fever of 104 °F. His stomach became extremely distended and he struggled even to walk, but the prison guards still refused to allow him a provisional release for medical treatment. Just as he was at his last gasp, the ward supervisor forced him to sign the “four statements” (a statement of guarantee, a statement of repentance, a statement of denouncement and criticism, and a statement of severing ties). After his full sentence was served and he had been released, the judicial office continued to subject him to brainwashing and conversion. On April 19, 2020, 10 months after his release, Zou Jihuang passed away.^[41]

Case 3

Shen Minzhi, female, born in 1984, was a resident of Hefei City in Anhui Province. She joined The Church of Almighty God in 2008. Shen Minzhi was arrested on August 29, 2017 for her faith in God. Attempting to force her to disclose information on the church, the police interrogated her in secret for 16 consecutive days; they did not allow her to sleep and intentionally exposed her to cold air-conditioned air until she lost feeling in her extremities. This barbaric torment of her continued after she was transferred to a detention center. Nothing but a thin straw mat lay atop the wooden plank she had for a bed, and she was given just one light blanket in the winter; she was often awoken by the cold. She did not have any shoes to wear, leaving her feet so cold that she lost feeling in them, but was still forced to take cold showers every day. After five months of this maltreatment, she developed multiple symptoms including a cough, shortness of breath, and a fever, which continued to worsen to the point that she was unable to sleep. Even so, the police forced her to perform sentry duty for two hours every night. One time, unable to tolerate it any longer, she fainted and fell to the ground. The prison doctor said she had an extremely serious pulmonary condition and needed to be transferred to a hospital for treatment, but the police refused to allow her to be released on bail pending trial, as she was a believer in Almighty God. In spite of her deteriorating condition which had developed into lung cancer, she was still given a sentence of four years and six months by the court. When the prison guards learned that her condition put her on the brink of death, they refused to accept her; only then was she allowed to serve her sentence outside of prison. On March 13, 2020, Shen Minzhi passed away at just 36 years of age.^[42]

Case 4

Wei Aizhi, female, born in 1960, was a resident of Zhoukou City in Henan Province. She joined The Church of Almighty God in 2004. Wei Aizhi was arrested by the police on December 14, 2012 for spreading the gospel. While detained, she was tormented by the head of the inmates at the detention center she was being held in at the urging of the police; she forced her to remove all of her clothing for a strip search, and she hit her in the mouth with leather shoes until she bled and her jaw was dislocated. This inmate also once took advantage of her being asleep, suddenly stomping hard on her abdomen with both feet three times in a row, causing her to lose bowel and bladder control. She beat her with leather shoes and kicked her in the chest. This savage torture weakened Wei Aizhi to the point that she fainted and fell to the floor; when taken to the hospital for an examination, her blood pressure was found to be over 270 mmHg, and the doctor urged the need for inpatient treatment due to the seriousness of her condition. However, the police refused, taking her back to the detention center and forcing her to perform physical labor, causing her to faint multiple times. After a year of detainment, her family managed to purchase her release on bail pending trial, but the CCP’s brutal persecution had left her riddled with illness and wounds, beyond treatment. She once told another Christian of her suffering: Her stomach hurt constantly, she had a hard time keeping food down, and had become incontinent. This was all a result of the torture she had suffered in the detention center. In January 2020, no longer able to bear the years of suffering from her conditions, Wei Aizhi hanged herself.^[43]

Case 5

Cui Yuhua, female, born in 1971, was a resident of Zibo City in Shandong Province. She joined The Church of Almighty God in 2010. Cui Yuhua was arrested for her faith on November 15, 2018. She was subjected to terrible abuse while in custody in a detention center, such as being forced to take daily cold showers on cold winter days, leaving her in a state of constant anxiety and depression. After more than 40 days of torment, an existing mammary gland condition worsened and a large lump appeared near her armpit, accompanied by a fever and pain so severe she was unable to sleep. Her application for a medical consultation was disregarded by the police; her condition subsequently deteriorated further, and even though she was eventually sent to the hospital, it had already developed into breast cancer. The doctor reproved her for waiting so long for treatment, saying that treatment two months earlier could have prevented her condition from deteriorating to that point. Ultimately, treatment proved ineffective and Cui Yuhua passed away on May 21, 2020.^[44]

Case 6

Zhang Wenrong, female, born in 1987, was a resident of Hegang City in Heilongjiang Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. After the CCP discovered that Zhang Wenrong’s father-in-law had played parts in gospel movies filmed abroad, officials began looking into all of her family members’ religious beliefs. She and her husband were both arrested on December 3, 2018; she was released the following day, but her husband remained in custody for 10 days. From then on, the police continued going to their home to harass them, pressuring them to sign the “three statements” (a statement of repentance, a statement of guarantee, and a statement of severing ties) and give up their faith, threatening them with their child’s future. Zhang Wenrong’s husband went on the run in an effort to escape future arrest. The police continued their constant visits and phone calls, harassing her and demanding to know the whereabouts of her husband and his parents. Overwhelmed by the incredible psychological stress, Zhang Wenrong became ill, experiencing frequent abdominal swelling, persistent fevers, and an inability to keep food down. She grew weaker by the day and ultimately suffered liver failure. Just 33 years old, she passed away on May 18, 2020.^[45]

Case 7

Yang Shifang, female, born in 1958, was a resident of Xinyang City in Henan Province. She joined The Church of Almighty God in 1999. On New Year’s Day in 2004, Yang Shifang was arrested because of her faith. Refusing to divulge information on the church during the interrogation, she was beaten unconscious by police. Once in a detention center, the police incited other prisoners to beat and otherwise torment her. She was kept under police surveillance after her release and forbidden to leave her city. After some time she left home and went on the run, unable to withstand the police’s constant harassing visits. Fifteen years passed, but the CCP police still hadn’t given up in their search for her. They continued making inquiries into her whereabouts and issuing summons for her to appear at a local police station. Her blood pressure skyrocketed due to living in a constant state of anxiety, terrified of further abuse, but she didn’t dare go to a hospital for routine treatment, afraid of being tracked down by the police. On February 9, 2020, her worsening condition resulted in a cerebral hemorrhage, and she died on February 19 after emergency treatment proved ineffective.^[46]

2) CAG Christians’ Brutal Torture by the CCP

Case 1

Li Haixia*, female, born in 1964, is a resident of Jilin Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. Li Haixia was arrested for her belief in God on June 20, 2020 and taken to a hotel for secret interrogations. The police deprived her of food, water, and sleep to extract information on the church from her. They handcuffed her and suspended her from a wall by the handcuffs so that her feet could barely reach the floor. One officer smacked her face with slippers savagely for over 10 minutes until her face was swollen and her mouth was bleeding. The officer then yanked her hair back with one hand while forcefully stuffing a slipper into her mouth with the other, after which he punched her hard in the chest, and viciously gouged and pinched her all over her body until black and blue marks appeared. They also ordered her to perform squats with both arms extended. Already in an extremely weakened state, she collapsed within the first few minutes, but the police still forced her to kneel with her hands above her head, continuing to torment her over and over. Even after her release, her face and legs remained swollen and bruising was still visible on her legs and chest. She did not recover until nearly a month later.^[47]

Case 2

Zhang Yan*, female, born in 1980, is a resident of Henan Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. Zhang Yan was arrested for spreading the gospel in 2013 and given a three-year sentence, but was allowed to serve for five years outside of prison due to her condition of cirrhosis of the liver. In August 2017, she was arrested while traveling out of town for medical attention. She was transferred to prison to serve out her sentence after 50 days of detention. As her condition worsened and she began coughing up bloody sputum, she submitted a request for a hospital visit that was denied by the prison guards. She was also forced to perform hard labor. The ward supervisor used corporal punishment in an effort to force her to wear a sign reading “Committed the crime of using a xie jiao organization to undermine the enforcement of the law,” and arranged for 14 other prisoners to take shifts, one pair at a time, to constantly monitor her, not allowing her to sleep for 10 days. They also sprayed mosquito repellent and anti-mosquito fragrance in her eyes, nose, and ears, and sprayed cold water on her. In a brainwashing effort, the prison guards forced her to watch videos slandering The Church of Almighty God, attempting to push her into renouncing her faith and betraying God. One morning, after Zhang Yan’s condition flared up and she vomited blood, the ward supervisor still ordered her to stay standing at attention in a hallway. She collapsed from extreme weakness and remained unconscious for nearly 10 hours. The prison staff continued their brutal torture of her because she insisted on keeping her faith. In May 2020, her sentence was completed and Zhang Yan was released. The inhumane tortures, including being forced to stand for long periods of time, left her with severe varicose veins and unable to remain standing for very long. A doctor told her that any physical work could cause the rupture and hemorrhage of major veins, leaving her unable to perform any kind of physical labor.^[48]

Case 3

Li An*, male, born in 1966, is a resident of Jiangsu Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. On April 20, 2020, Li An was arrested because of his faith, and subsequently taken to a local hotel for secret interrogations. In their attempt to learn details about the church from him, the police smacked him in the face repeatedly, jumped on his hands while wearing leather shoes, deprived him of sleep, sprayed cold water on him, made him hold ice cubes while performing squats, and more. Li An was tortured for 41 days, 15 of which he spent handcuffed to a tiger bench, leaving sores on his buttocks that began to peel (to this day, there is a fist-sized patch of purplish-red damaged flesh that hurts when he sits for a long period of time), he experienced severe swelling in his legs and feet and extreme neck pain.^[49]

Case 4

Xiang Wen*, female, born in 1986, is a resident of Yichun City in Jiangxi Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. Xiang Wen was arrested because of her faith in God on October 19, 2018 and then sentenced to one and a half years in prison. While serving her time, the prison guards used a variety of depraved tactics to torture her into signing the “four statements” (a statement of guarantee, a statement of repentance, a statement of denouncement and criticism, and a statement of severing ties) and giving up her faith. She had to stand at attention from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day for 15 consecutive days, and they would try to force her to say things blaspheming God by refusing to allow her to use the bathroom. She was tied up with restraints and hung by her hands from a window, or even suspended from both hands and one foot so that she could stand only on her left foot. They tormented her this way for more than 10 days without reprieve. She was then forced to walk in formation under the intensity of the hot sun, and allowed to eat nothing but rice for over a month, with no other accompanying food, leaving her emaciated and suffering from stomach pain. Xiang Wen’s sentence was completed on April 26, 2020 and she was released. The long periods of corporal punishment left her with lasting aftereffects, and she experiences sciatic nerve pain to this day.

3) The CCP Hunted and Offered Rewards for CAG Christians

Case 1

Yan Pingping, female, born in 1977, is a resident of Qi Village, Shizhong District, Zaozhuang City in Shandong Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. While on her way out of town to attend a gathering on August 22, 2012, Yan Pingping was followed and photographed by police, and a criminal record was opened up on her. She was forced to go on the run and did not dare return home again. From 2014 to 2017, the police visited her home repeatedly to inquire after her whereabouts, labeling her a nationally wanted criminal. On anuary 3, 2020, the Shizhong Branch of Zaozhuang City Public Security Bureau listed a reward for her capture of RMB 5,000 to 20,000 (approximately USD $750 to $3,000) and posted wanted notices for her on the streets of Shizhong District.^[50] As a result of their relentless pursuit and persecution, Yan Pingping is on edge every moment she is outside; she wears a face mask and hat year-round, afraid of being discovered by CCP police. She lives in a constant state of suffering and depression, and still has not been able to return home.^[51]

Case 2

Han Xiaohui, female, born in 1992, is a resident of Wulian County, Rizhao City in Shandong Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. In April 2015, after Han Xiaohui was reported for her belief in God, the chief of the county’s National Security Brigade warned her relatives that because of her belief in Almighty God, she would receive at least a six-year sentence as soon as she was caught. Menacingly, he told them they would also be implicated, that any civil servants among them would no longer receive a salary, and their children would be barred from entering the armed forces or taking the civil service examination. Han Xiaohui was then forced to flee and could not return home. The police went to her home repeatedly between 2016 and 2019 seeking information on her whereabouts and ordered her family members to immediately notify the police the moment she returned. On January 17, 2020, the Rizhao City Public Security Bureau announced a “Cloud and Sword” operation on their website, in which they announced a reward of RMB 5,000 (approximately USD $750) for clues leading to Han Xiaohui’s apprehension.^[52] Forced into the life of a fugitive, Han Xiaohui is in constant fear every time she steps outside and remains on the run to this day.^[53]

Case 3

Bian Bingling, female, born in 1967, is a resident of Weishan County, Jining City in Shandong Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. When police began following Bian Bingling and several other Christians on their way out of town on August 24, 2012 to attend a gathering, they all split up and fled separately. She did not dare return home again after that, and her husband and sons also ended up having to flee to escape police officers’ frequent harassing visits. Four years later, her husband became ill and had no choice but to go home to recover. The police put their home under strict surveillance and continued visiting, demanding to know where Bian Bingling was. Her mother-in-law passed away in June 2018, and the day of the funeral, the Jining City government mobilized over 40 people to keep a close watch over the surroundings of her home, hoping for a chance to arrest her. The police later threatened her husband, saying, “If your wife doesn’t come back, we’ll issue a wanted notice online. That’s an order from a superior!” He was also taken to the municipal National Security Detachment for questioning and RMB 13,000 (approximately USD $1,950) of his personal funds were seized. A court sentenced him to four years in prison in January 2019 because of his faith. Bian Bingling’s two sons were also listed as wanted and pursued because of their faith; all of her relatives’ phone lines are monitored. The police have stated that if she is captured, she will be sentenced to death or given a life sentence. In August 2020, officers with the city Public Security Bureau visited her home once again in an effort to arrest her. Bian Bingling and her two sons remain on the run to this very day.^[54]

4) The CCP Plundered Church Funds and Christians’ Personal Assets

Case 1

Wen Jing*, female, is a resident of Shanxi Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. In mid-October 2020, six or seven police officers forced their way into Wen Jing’s home and conducted a frenzied search, in which they found RMB 600,000 (approximately USD $90,000) of personal funds that she had put away. Although she declared these were her own personal assets and had no relation to the church, the police still confiscated all of it. She was also arrested and locked up in a brainwashing camp for brainwashing and conversion, where they attempted to force her to sign the “four statements” (a statement of guarantee, a statement of repentance, a statement of denouncement and criticism, and a statement of severing ties) and renounce her faith. Wen Jing was released after more than a month of detention. Her family have reached out to the police repeatedly requesting that the funds be returned, but the police have continued to make justifications not to do so. To this day the money has not been returned.

Case 2

Tan Zhengzhong*, male, is a resident of Sichuan Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. The police forcefully entered and ransacked the home of Tan Zhengzhong two times between February and March 2020, and took both church and personal funds totaling over RMB 500,000 (approximately USD $75,000). Tan Zhengzhong currently remains in custody.

Case 3

Xin Hui*, female, is a resident of Shandong Province and a Christian of The Church of Almighty God. In mid-November 2020, over 10 plainclothes police officers burst into Xin Hui’s residence and conducted an exhaustive search. After looting over RMB 400,000 (approximately USD $60,000) of her personal assets, they arrested her and placed her in custody. In spite of her family members’ repeated trips to the Public Security Bureau to ask for the funds to be given back, the police have continued to concoct excuses to refuse; they have yet to be returned.

5) The CCP Arbitrarily Detained and Imprisoned CAG Christians

According to incomplete statistics, at least 1,098 CAG Christians were sentenced for “using a xie jiao organization to undermine the enforcement of the law” in 2020, for nothing more than religious activities or keeping literature of faith at home. 57 of them were even sentenced to seven years or more. Please refer to the table below for details.

Table 3: Information of CAG Christians Sentenced to 7 Years or More in 2020

1　400+ Protestant Venues Destroyed or Closed in Shangrao City, ADHRRF, July 15, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/400-Protestant-Venues-Destroyed-or-Closed-in-Shangrao-City.html

2　Lu An, Crosses Toppled from Over 900 Three-Self Churches in Anhui, Bitter Winter, August 22, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/crosses-toppled-from-over-900-three-self-churches-in-anhui/

3　Laura O'Callaghan, Christian Persecution: Police Crack Down on “Illegal” Church Services Over Zoom, Express, April 14, 2020.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1268622/china-Christians-arrested-easter-Sunday-church-service-zoom-police-china-news

4　An Xin, Catholic Priests Tortured to Join the Patriotic Church, Bitter Winter, April 28, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/catholic-priests-tortured-to-join-the-patriotic-church/

5　Religious Books Burned or Trashed, Printers Jailed, ADHRRF, December 17, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Religious-Books-Burned-or-Trashed-Printers-Jailed.html

6　Leah MarieAnn Klett, China Sentences Christian Bookseller to 7 Years in Prison, Destroys Thousands of “Illegal” Books, The Christian Post, October 1, 2020.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/china-sentences-christian-bookseller-to-7-years-in-prison-destroys-thousands-of-illegal-books.html

7　Jiang Tao, Numerous Protestant Venues Shut Down Across China, Bitter Winter, December 8, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/numerous-protestant-venues-shut-down-across-china/

8　《疫情解封中国教会开门仍难！42条严规 被迫歌颂习近平》[Unsealing China’s Churches No Easy Feat: Following 42 Draconian Rules and Singing Xi Jinping’s Praises Demanded], 自由时报[Liberty Times Net], August 6, 2020.

https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3251242

9　Ye Ling, Clergy Ordered to Promote the Communist Party in Sermons, Bitter Winter, October 22, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/clergy-ordered-to-promote-the-communist-party-in-sermons/

10　Miles Johnson, Pompeo pressures Vatican on China’s record on religious freedom, Financial Times, September 30, 2020.

https://www.ft.com/content/f9fce413-05c4-48ec-852d-ffcf35a1f16c

11　Wang Yichi, A 3-Year “Final Solution” Plan Against The Church of Almighty God, Bitter Winter, December 30,2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/a-3-year-final-solution-plan-against-the-church-of-almighty-god/

12　HRWF Prisoners Database-China, HRWF, January 23, 2021.

https://hrwf.eu/

13　4704 Cases of Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of CAG Christians by CCP, ADHRRF, January 22, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/the-christians-from-the-church-of-almighty-god-arrested-or-persecuted.html

14　《防疫反邪两手抓 打通宣传“最后一公里”》[Two-pronged Anti-epidemic and Anti-cult Strategy: Getting the Word Out at This Crucial Juncture], 中国反邪教网[China Anti-cult Network], October 27, 2020.

http://www.chinafxj.cn/c/2020-10-26/1284022.shtml

15　《宝鸡市陇县防疫反邪同宣传 筑牢防御保安康》[Anti-epidemic and Anti-cult Measures in Long County, Baoji City Shore up Defenses to Ensure Wellbeing],中国反邪教网[China Anti-cult Network], April 9, 2020.

http://wap.kaiwind.com/c/2020-04-09/1151656.shtml

16　Zhou Xiaolu, 325 CAG Members Arrested During Coronavirus Outbreak, Bitter Winter, May 06, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/325-cag-members-arrested-during-coronavirus-outbreak/

17　Zhou Xiaolu, More Church of Almighty God Members Arrested and Tortured, Bitter Winter, August 17, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/more-church-of-almighty-god-members-arrested-and-tortured/

18　Judith Bergman, “Epidemic Prevention” Chinese Communist Party Style: Persecute Religious Minorities, Gatestone Institute, May 24, 2020.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16051/china-religion-persecution?fbclid=IwAR3VWZadCIq0EM0L9mIGEHfxmOUY2vs

19　Zhang Feng, Over 90 Church of Almighty God Members Arrested in 2 Days, Bitter Winter, June 17, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/over-90-church-of-almighty-god-members-arrested-in-2-days/

20　Ye Jiajia, New Unified Arrest Operations Target The Church of Almighty God, Bitter Winter, December 1, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/new-unified-arrest-operations-target-the-church-of-almighty-god/

21　Deng Jia, 76 Church of Almighty God Members Sentenced to Prison, Bitter Winter, December 3, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/76-church-of-almighty-god-members-sentenced-to-prison/

22　Chang Xin, 52 Church of Almighty God Members Given Long Jail Sentences, Bitter Winter, July 31, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/52-church-of-almighty-god-members-given-long-jail-sentences/

23　Report: China Jails Christian Teenager for Practicing Banned Religion, Breitbart News, September 9, 2020.

https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2020/09/09/report-china-jails-christian-teenager-for-practicing-banned-religion/

24　HRWF Prisoners Database-China, HRWF, January 23, 2021.

https://hrwf.eu/

25　Church of Almighty God Members “Deprogrammed” in Jail, ADHRRF, January 7, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Church-of-Almighty-God-Members-Deprogrammed-in-Jail.html

26　Christian Brutally Persecuted by CCP for Religious Belief: Subjected to Torture, Indoctrination, Sexual Abuse, ADHRRF, December 22, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Brutally-Persecuted-by-CCP-for-Religious-Belief-Subjected-to-Torture-Indoctrination-Sexual-Abuse.html

27　Over 90 Church of Almighty God Members Arrested in 2 Days, ADHRRF, June 18, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Over-90-Church-of-Almighty-God-Members-Arrested-in-2-Days.html

28　Chang Xin, Banned Religious Groups’ Members “Transformed” in Xinjiang Camps, Bitter Winter, September 6, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/banned-religious-groups-members-transformed-in-xinjiang-camps/

29　Xiang Yi, Church of Almighty God Members Tortured in Xinjiang’s Camps, Bitter Winter, March 18, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/church-of-almighty-god-members-tortured-in-xinjiangs-camps/

30　Christian Zhang Wenrong Dies of Illness Suffered from CCP’s Prolonged Surveillance & Harassment, ADHRRF, December 14, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Dies-of-Illness-Suffered-from-CCPs-Prolonged-Surveillance-Harassment.html

31　CHINA (INCLUDES TIBET, XINJIANG, HONG KONG, AND MACAU) 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT, pages 12~14, US Department of State, June 10, 2020.

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CHINA-INCLUDES-TIBET-XINJIANG-HONG-KONG-AND-MACAU-2019-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf

32　Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List, USCIRF.

https://www.uscirf.gov/victims-list/

33　THE DARKNESS DEEPENS: The Crackdown on Human Rights in China 2016-2020, page 27, The Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, January 13, 2021.

https://conservativepartyhumanrightscommission.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CPHRC-China-Report.pdf

34　End The Persecution of The Church of Almighty God Now! Bitter Winter, February 24, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/end-the-persecution-of-the-church-of-almighty-god-now/

35　Repressed, Removed, Re-Educated: The stranglehold on religious life in China, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, February 2, 2020.

https://www.csw.org.uk/2020-china-report

36　The Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China, JUDGMENT, March 1, 2020.

https://chinatribunal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ChinaTribunal_JUDGMENT_1stMarch_2020.pdf

37　In Prison for Their Faith 2020, Human Rights Without Frontiers, September 2020.

https://hrwf.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/In-Prison-for-Their-Faith_Full.pdf

38　Rosita Šorytė, Switzerland-China Secret Deal: Did It Affect Religion-Based Refugees? Bitter Winter, December 14, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/switzerland-china-secret-deal-did-it-affect-religion-based-refugees/

39　ROSITA ŠORYTĖ, The Church of Almighty God Refugees: Remember Them on World Refugee Day, Bitter Winter, June 20, 2020.

https://bitterwinter.org/the-church-of-almighty-god-refugees-remember-them-on-world-refugee-day/

40　Christian Qin Shiqin Dies from 10-Day Interrogation by Torture After Arrested for Religious Belief, ADHRRF, January 15, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Qin-Shiqin.html

41　Christian Zou Jihuang Dies from Forced Labor & Delay in Treatment of His Illness During Detention, ADHRRF, December 24, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Zou-Jihuang-Dies-from-Forced-Labor-Delay-in-Treatment-of-His-Illness-During-Detention.html

42　Shen Minzhi Arrested for Belief in Almighty God, Tormented to Lung Cancer & Death, ADHRRF, December 12, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/A-Christian-Arrested-for-Belief-in-Almighty-God-Tormented-to-Lung-Cancer-Death.html

43　Christian Wei Aizhi Commits Suicide for Unbearable Prolonged Incurable Diseases from CCP’s Persecution, ADHRRF, December 27, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/A-Christian-suicided-due-to-CCPs-Persecution.html

44　Ill Christian Cui Yuhua Dies for Delay in Treatment by Police Arrest & Abuse, ADHRRF, December 20, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Ill-Christian-Cui-Yuhua-Dies-for-Delay-in-Treatment-by-Police-Arrest-Abuse.html

45　Christian Zhang Wenrong Dies of Illness Suffered from CCP’s Prolonged Surveillance & Harassment, ADHRRF, December 14, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Dies-of-Illness-Suffered-from-CCPs-Prolonged-Surveillance-Harassment.html

46　Christian Yang Shifang Dies from Prolonged Mental Pressure for Having Been Pursued over 16 Years, ADHRRF, December 10, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Yang-Shifang-Dies-for-persecuting.html

47　Christian Cuffed and Beaten to Give Up Information on Church, ADHRRF, January 15, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Cuffed-and-Beaten-to-Give-Up-Information-on-Church.html

48　Christian Rearrested for Religious Belief, Tortured with Illness in Prison, ADHRRF, December 18, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Rearrested-for-Religious-Belief-Tortured-with-Illness-in-Prison.html

49　Christian Interrogated Secretly for 41 Days, Left with Multiple Injuries and Disabilities, ADHRRF, December 16, 2020.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Interrogated-Secretly-for-41-Days-Left-with-Multiple-Injuries-and-Disabilities.html

50　《枣庄市中公安最高奖励2万悬赏18名在逃犯》[Shizhong Branch of Zaozhuang City Public Security Bureau Offers Rewards of up to RMB 20,000 for 18 Wanted Criminals], 中宏网山东[Zhonghong Net Shandong], January 3, 2020.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nKQIz7nX0p4J:sd.zhonghongwang.com/show-33-24785-1.html+&cd=13&hl=zh-CN&ct=clnk&gl=nz

51　Christian Yan Pingping Wanted by CCP at High Price, ADHRRF, January 15, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Yan-Pingping-Wanted-by-CCP.html

52　《35名在逃人员信息公布，警方悬赏缉拿！》[Details of 35 Wanted Fugitives, Police Offering Reward for Their Arrest], 中国警察网[China Police Network], January 18, 2020.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-PLUW7YM258J:https://kuaibao.qq.com/s/20200118AZOZYT00%3Frefer%3Dspider+&cd=5&hl=z…

53　Christian Han Xiaohui Wanted by CCP with Reward for Religion, ADHRRF, January 12, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Han-Xiaohui-Wanted-by-CCP-with-Reward-for-Religion.html

54　Christian Bian Bingling & Two Sons Pursued for Their Belief, Husband Sentenced 4 Years in Prison, ADHRRF, January 14, 2021.

https://en.adhrrf.org/Christian-Bian-Bingling.html