Related
Advertisements *
Elsewhere
Subscribe: RSS
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Subscribe: Email
![]() |
![]() Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Most Popular
- Evangelist Ted Haggard returns to the pulpit in Illinois
- Peoples Temple: pain of cult massacre lives on
- Jury awards $2.5 million to teen beaten by Klan members
- Opinion writer spouts misinformation about the term ‘cult’
- Religious cult member convicted but viewed as victim of cult leader
- Cult or Church: Woman questions Order of Christ-Sophia
- Cult member in toddler starvation case ordered released pending trial
- Arkansas takes 21 children from Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound into protective custody
- French appeals court restores marriage between two Muslims in virginity case
- Lawyers for FLDS leader Warren Jeffs to question anti-polygamy activist Flora Jessop
Death Sentences Loom in Trial of Chinese Christians
BEIJING, Feb. 27–(Kyodo)- Seventeen leaders from a Chinese Christian group will go on trial Tuesday for alleged involvement in the murder of 20 members of a rival sect and fraud, a Christian group based in the United States said Monday.
At least four defendants, members of the religious sect Three Grades of Servants, are expected to be sentenced to death by an intermediate court in Shuangyashan, a city in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, the China Aid Association quoted government sources as saying.
The defendants, including sect leader and longtime underground church organizer Xu Wenku, are accused of involvement in the murder of members of the Eastern Lightning sect in retaliation for its meddling in Xu’s group, the Texas-based association of Chinese-American Christians said in a statement.
The defendants are also accused of 32 million yuan ($3.98 million) in fraud.
Xu rejects the charges, said the China Aid Association, an advocate for underground Chinese churches.
Xu and most other suspects in this case were tortured “very extensively” by investigators, and one of them died under interrogation in 2004, the association said.
In 2004 and 2005, other leaders from Xu’s group were sentenced to death, it said.
“The trial of these religious leaders in China this week is significant,” the group said. “This trial may demonstrate the degree to which the Chinese government may be willing to ignore or suspend constitutional safeguards to destroy particular religious groups.”
Courthouse staff did not answer phone calls Monday.
Like this story?
Today's Most Popular Articles |
|
Share this
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
Article and Site Tools
» PermaLink to: Death Sentences Loom in Trial of Chinese Christians Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final / » More news articles + news archive on China » More religion and cult news Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?] » RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed » RSS News Feed - Single Topic: China » Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines |
More Article Tools
Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us Bookmark / Tag: Furl Save this article Email this article Print this article [Temporarily out of order] More Information Books about China Relevant books (and other goodies) |



