China has released Pastor Ezra Jin, the head of the underground church, after several months of detention. After his release, he safely reached Los Angeles, USA, where he met his family. The family says that this decision was possible after US President Donald Trump raised this issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, human rights organizations say that many members of the church are still in China’s custody.
Pastor Ezra Jin, one of the leading faces of the underground Christian movement in China, was detained in Beihai city of southern China in October last year. Many other leaders of the Zion Church were also arrested along with him. He was accused of “using the information network illegally”. According to ChinaAid, an organization working for Christian rights, Ezra Jin reached Los Angeles, USA on July 4. The organization welcomed his safe release and called it an important step.
The family expressed gratitude to Trump and Xi Jinping
Ezra Zinn’s family described his release as nothing less than a miracle. The family said they thank God and are also grateful for the efforts of US President Donald Trump. According to the family, Trump raised Ezra Jin’s case during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May. After this, Trump also said that Xi Jinping is seriously considering his release. The family believes that this would not have been possible without the direct intervention of the Chinese leadership.
What is the matter of Zion Church?
Ezra Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007. It is counted among the largest underground or house churches in China. Such churches are not registered with the government and are not part of religious institutions operating under government rules. In China, the government wants people to worship only through government-recognized religious organizations. For this reason, in 2018, the authorities closed the building of Zion Church. After this the church continued its religious activities through online medium and reached out to thousands of people.
Many members are still in custody
Human rights organization Human Rights Watch has welcomed the release of Ezra Zinn, but has also expressed concern. According to Maya Wang, the organization’s deputy Asia director, at least eight members of Zion Church are still in China’s custody. He has demanded to release everyone soon. At present, there has been no official response from China’s Foreign Ministry on this entire matter. At the same time, this release is being considered important in terms of talks between America and China and issues related to religious freedom.
Leave a Reply