William Desjardins
Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent Protestant leader from Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, has been formally arrested on charges of “illegal business operations,” according to his legal representatives and Chinese human rights groups. The arrest, formally communicated to Pastor Huang on July 30, stems from his alleged sale of sermon recordings. His supporters and legal team say the charge is politically motivated.
Pastor Huang, widely known for his vocal resistance against government interference in religious affairs, was detained on June 26 alongside four other church members from Ningbo, Quzhou, and Taizhou, all in Zhejiang Province. The group was administratively detained the following day. Two of the four were released on bail on July 25, while the remaining two, along with another church member detained on July 17, continue to be held under unclear charges.
Under Chinese law, police are required to seek formal arrest approval within 30 days of detention. Huang’s representative believes the request was submitted on July 25, the final day of that window. However, an online search revealed that Huang’s name was already listed as “arrest approved” on the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China’s portal the same day, before any formal notice was given. The case was reportedly reviewed on July 28, and arrest approval was officially granted on July 29.
The rapid progression of the case has sparked criticism. “The speed and lack of transparency in Pastor Huang’s arrest process raise serious concerns about due process and the impartiality of the review,” said his lawyer, Yuan Mao, who was initially blocked from visiting Huang at the Pingyang County Detention Centre. Authorities cited the “special nature” of the case, requiring higher-level approval to allow visitation. The act Yuan argued violated Article 39 of China’s Criminal Procedure Law. Following a formal complaint filed on July 10, Yuan was finally permitted to meet his client on July 11.
In that meeting, Pastor Huang reportedly reiterated his innocence, stating, “Everything I have done is for the gospel. I have committed no illegal business activity.”
This is not Pastor Huang’s first encounter with state repression. In 2014, he was sentenced to one year in prison for protesting the mass demolition of church crosses in Wenzhou, a campaign widely criticised as part of a broader effort to suppress Christianity. Less than a month after his release in 2015, he was detained again on charges of “endangering national security” and held in secret residential surveillance for nearly five months without contact with family or legal counsel.
His church, Fengwo Church in Pingyang County, once a government-registered Three-Self Patriotic Movement congregation, has faced escalating pressure in recent years. Pastor Huang has been under frequent surveillance, summoned for interrogation, and had his online sermons shut down.
The Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group condemned the use of “vague and arbitrary” charges like “illegal business operations” to target religious leaders. “Freedom of religion or belief includes the right to share one’s faith, including through recorded sermons,” the group said in a statement. “This right is enshrined in China’s constitution and international human rights law.”
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Founder President Mervyn Thomas echoed the condemnation, calling for Huang’s “immediate and unconditional release” and urging the Chinese authorities to respect legal procedures and religious freedom.
The arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on Christian communities in China. In April, nine Christians in Inner Mongolia were sentenced to prison terms and heavy fines for reselling legally published Bibles through an unregistered house church. In May, new government regulations took effect prohibiting foreign missionaries from preaching, founding schools, or distributing religious materials without state authorisation.
Organisations such as CSW, ChinaAid, and Voice of the Martyrs Canada continue to monitor and denounce the increasing pressure on China’s Christian population, particularly in regions like Zhejiang, where aggressive campaigns against churches, including cross removals and demolitions, have intensified since 2014.
As Pastor Huang remains behind bars, his case has become a focal point in the struggle for religious freedom in China.
