Christian pastor Wang Yi faces subversion charges in China after raid on church
- ‘My son has been placed under criminal detention for allegedly inciting subversion of state power,’ Wang’s mother says
- More than 100 other congregants were also rounded up as part of the government crackdown, and some said they were abused while in custody
Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church, one of China’s most prominent unofficial churches, has been criminally detained for allegedly inciting subversion of state power, according to his mother.
The church in Chengdu, in Sichuan province, was raided at around 6pm on Sunday, and more than 100 leaders, seminary students and worshippers were taken into custody. Some were taken from their homes or the streets. Church members also said they were abused while in police custody.
The whereabouts of Wang’s wife, Jiang Rong, are not known. She was removed from her mother-in-law’s home on Sunday night.
Chen Yaxue, Wang’s 73-year-old mother, told the South China Morning Post that Chengdu police went to her flat on Wednesday morning.
“They brought along an arrest notice asking me to sign. It said my son has been placed under criminal detention for allegedly inciting subversion of state power,” Chen said.