July 1, 2009

HENAN – Pastor Dou Shaowen and his wife Feng Lu of Rock (Panshi) Church in Zhengzhou city, Henan, were sentenced to one year of re-education through labor for “engaging in illegal religious activities.” Attorney Li Dunyong has traveled to Zhengzhou city to represent Pastor Dou and Feng Lu for the Administrative Review and Appeal.

While Pastor Dou Shaowen is imprisoned at the labor camp, officials released Feng Lu on the evening of June 25. Authorities have permitted Feng Lu to serve her sentence at home, in order to care for their 12-year-old daughter. She is required to report to the Public Security Bureau regularly, and could be sent to labor camp again if she is found “engaging in illegal religious activities” again.

Pastor Dou Shaowen and his wife Feng Lu were arrested on June 14, when several dozen officials from Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Religion and Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of State broke into the church’s Sunday worship service. Officials forcibly photographed and videotaped the more than 100 Christians present, cut off the electricity and forced the Christians to leave. Finally, the authorities posted sealing tape from the Bureau of Religion, sealing off all the worship areas of Rock Church. Five other Christians, Li Zhemin, Wei Jianhua, Zhang Julin, Ma Jianbo and Li Cuiying were arrested with Pastor Dou and Feng Lu. Each of the five were sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention and were forced to pay a 800-900 yuan fine.

Contact Zhengzhou city authorities for the immediate release of Pastor Dou Shaowen and Feng Lu, and the five Christians sentenced to administrative detention.