Release International

Concern is growing for a Chinese Christian who has been imprisoned for 15 months without trial, as evidence emerges that his health is deteriorating.

Release International highlights the story of Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti in the latest edition of its award-winning webcast World Update on the Persecuted Church.

Release partners say Alimujiang Yimiti (also known as Alimjan Yimit) was seen on Tuesday at Nongsanshi Hospital in Kashgar. His hands were bound and he was being roughly escorted by police and a prison doctor. He called out to onlookers repeatedly in Chinese, ‘I’m sick. Tell my lawyer to come and see me.’

He’s expected to face trial shortly. A previous trial, last May, resulted in the case being returned to the police for lack of evidence. He’s been imprisoned since January 2008 on charges of ‘spying and illegally providing state secrets.’

Release partner China Aid believe the charges are false. They say the real reason for his detention is because of his faith and witness to the Uyghur people, most of whom are Muslim. 

The plight of ethnic Uyghur Christians in the north-west of China is highlighted in the latest edition of World Update on the Persecuted Church by Release International. Many have suffered intense persecution over the past year and several are behind bars even though judges have rejected the charges against them for lack of evidence.

They include Uyghur Pastor Lou Yuanqi, who has been charged with ‘using superstition to undermine the law’. In effect, he was arrested to prevent an unregistered house church from meeting in his home. At his trial, court police beat his 18-year-old daughter when she tried to speak to her father. She had to be given hospital treatment.

Pastor Lou Yuanqi has been jailed four times for his faith. There are concerns for his health, too, as he suffers from Hepatitis B. [For further details see link below.]

The latest edition of World Update, which is ten minutes long, is available for download from www.releaseinternational.org  It also features stories from Pakistan, Eritrea and Vietnam.

Through its international network of missions Release supports Christians imprisoned for their faith and their families in 30 nations. It supports church workers, pastors and their families, and provides training, Bibles, Christian literature and broadcasts. Release is a member of the UK organisations Global Connections, the Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Network.

ENDS

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

For a country profile on China, please go to: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/country-profiles/china.php

For information on Lou Yuanqi, please go to: http://www.releaseinternational.org/media/download_gallery/POF0209.pdf

For further information please contact Release International on 01689 823491 or by email at info@releaseinternational.org 

And for more information on Release International please go to: www.releaseinternational.org

Back to top