Advertisement
Chinese pastor Wang Yi gets nine years in jail for ‘inciting subversion’
- Early Rain Covenant Church founder had been detained for 12 months after being picked up during overnight raids
- Wang also convicted of illegal business operations, according to court judgment
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Wang Yi, a founding pastor of China’s Early Rain Covenant Church, has been sentenced to nine years in jail by a Chinese court for inciting subversion of state power and other crimes.
Wang was detained in December 2018 along with other senior figures in the prominent unsanctioned church during overnight raids across various districts of Chengdu, the southwestern city where the church was founded.
On Monday the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court released its judgment, which said the pastor was also convicted of illegal business operations.
Advertisement
In addition to the jail term, Wang would be stripped of his political rights for three years and personal assets valuing 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) would be confiscated.
According to Zhang Peihong, a lawyer close to Wang’s family, the pastor stood trial around December 26, while the whereabouts of his wife Jiang Rong, who was also placed in custody, remains unclear.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x