Release International

A prominent human rights lawyer is continuing to document instances of religious persecution in China -- despite threats on his life by the authorities.

Gao Zhisheng, who defended Pastor Cai Zhuohua against charges of illegal business practices last year, has suffered increasingly brutal harassment: from being nearly driven off the road to having his Beijing legal firm shut down for a year (as reported in 7x7 on December 6). His licence to practice law has also been suspended, in apparent retaliation for years of human rights work.

The 41-year-old has been in hiding in northern China since the trial -- but refuses to be silenced. He has now issued a report on Christian persecution in Xinjiang province. The testimony of 13 believers bears witness to the torture and abuse that the underground house church movement is suffering at the hands of the authorities.

One man reported being beaten with police officers' belts before being chained to a radiator for two days. Another detailed how his wife was slapped and kicked during 48 hours of interrogation. A third told how he sustained a fractured rib after being kicked in the chest.

Mr Zhisheng alleges in his report that 'a huge police force' exists solely for the purpose of suppressing freedom of belief in China. 'Brutally cracking down on people's freedom of worship results from a habit of resilient thuggery inherent in this system,' he writes at the close of his report. 'It is time for an immediate awakening!'

Mr Zhisheng, an army veteran and former Communist Party member, is reported to have become a Christian recently.

• Praise God for Mr Zhisheng's bravery in speaking out against the authorities' attempts to suppress religious belief. Ask God to protect him and his family.
• Thank God for the determination of China's thriving underground church to continue to worship in the face of brutal persecution.

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