China
(MNN) — A prominent Chinese house church leader from the town of Qingshuihe, Xinjiang
province was detained on the afternoon of May 16, Voice of the Martyrs reports.
At the township police station, Pastor Lou Yuanqi was
interrogated for one hour. He was then
transferred to a detention center and charged with "inciting separatism."
Pastor Yuanqi has been arrested several times before, but he
has never been placed in criminal detention. Placement in criminal detention means that he will probably face a
serious indictment in court.
China
imprisons and detains more Christians than any other country, and Christians in
prison are routinely beaten and abused. China also
frequently confiscates Bibles and church property.
90-percent of Chinese Christians belong to
unregistered house churches. It is
estimated that Christians make up 6 percent of China's population.
