China: Shuang Shuying is denied access to dying husband

Elderly Christian prisoner Shuang Shuying has been denied permission to visit her dying husband – even though she is due to be freed within a fortnight.

Hua Zaichen, the 91-year-old father of Beijing house church leader Hua Huiqi, is reportedly on his death bed – but prison officials are stubbornly refusing to let his wife out to see him.

If Hua Zaichen does die before his wife's release date, scheduled for February 8, Shuang has been told she would be allowed to see his body for ten minutes – and would have to remain handcuffed, with a Public Security Bureau (PSB) escort.

PSB officials have shown no respect for Hua Zaichen's wider family and friends either. More than a dozen officers raided his house on January 16 and seized 'Bike' Mingxuan, the prominent Beijing pastor who was praying for his dying friend. Pastor Bike, who is president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, has been ejected from Beijing several times recently. This time, he was put on a bus to Henan province.

In a more positive development, PSB officials have taken the unprecedented step of paying Pastor Bike some £1,800 in compensation for attacking his family and evicting them from their Beijing flat last October (7x7 October 28, 2008). Bike's son Zhang Jian suffered serious injuries in the assault. In response, Pastor Bike has dropped a legal suit against the PSB.

(Sources: China Aid, XE.com)

Pray that Shuang Shuying will be allowed to see her husband before he dies.

Thank God for the PSB's compensation payment to Pastor Bike – and pray that he and his family obtain justice for all that they have endured over recent months.