HOHHOT, CHINA — In a case underscoring growing restrictions on religious expression in China, nine Christians have been sentenced to prison terms and issued steep fines for distributing Bibles through a house church not registered with the state.
The sentences, handed down by the Huimin District Court in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, ranged from one to nearly five years, with fines reaching as high as one million yuan (approximately $137,000). The court ruled the group had engaged in “illegal business operations” by selling Bibles outside the government-approved distribution channels.
According to CP, the longest sentence was given to Wang Honglan, who received four years and ten months in prison along with the maximum fine. Two others, Wang Jiale and Liu Minna, were each sentenced to four years and six months and fined 200,000 yuan (around $27,500).
Other members received shorter terms. Yang Zhijun was sentenced to four years and three months, while Ji Heying, Ji Guolong, Zhang Wang, and Liu Wei each received three-year sentences. Li Chao, the ninth defendant, received the lightest punishment: one year in prison and a 5,000 yuan fine. An additional member of the group, Ban Yanhong, had already been sentenced to five years in April 2024, also for Bible-related activities.
The group had been under investigation since April 2021, when authorities arrested them for distributing Bibles printed with government authorization but sold through unofficial means. Though the materials were legally produced in Nanjing, prosecutors argued that selling them outside state channels made the activity unlawful.
According to CP, the defendants insisted their actions were not profit-driven. They reportedly purchased the Bibles at nearly full cost and resold them at a discount, incurring personal losses to support their evangelistic efforts. Their stated goal was to spread the Christian faith, not to conduct business.
However, Chinese law strictly limits religious activity to state-approved organizations, and the group’s refusal to join the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement placed them outside legal protection. Religious freedom watchdogs have criticized the ruling, warning that it reflects a broader crackdown on unregistered churches and independent Christian groups.
The sentencing comes just ahead of new national restrictions that will take effect on May 1, further tightening control over religious activities. Under the revised regulations, foreign missionaries will be banned from preaching, starting religious organizations, or distributing religious materials without government approval. All preaching by foreign nationals must also be cleared in advance by state authorities.
These developments have intensified concerns over the future of religious freedom in China. The International Christian Concern group, among others, has condemned the prosecution, calling it a stark example of how faith-based initiatives can be criminalized under China’s current policies.
