Contact: China Aid Association, Inc., 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org; www.chinaaid.org, www.monitorchina.org

MIDLAND, Texas, Oct. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- CAA learned the defense attorney of the arrested Xinjiang church leader Zhou Heng arrived at Urumqi on October 17.

Photo: Zhou's wife with their two daughters

One of the most prominent Chinese rights defenders attorneys, Zhang Xingshui, is the director of Beijing Jingding Law Firm. He and his assistant went to the PSB office and learned Zhou's case had been transferred to the Prosecution Bureau the day before. When they got to the prosecution bureau, one officer told him Zhou's case hadn't been assigned a case number. Attorney Zhang was asked to call the prosecution office after 15 days according to that office's protocol of processing cases.

CAA also learned that recently arrested Zhou Heng's coworker, Tan Wen, was released on October 15 after CAA issued report about his arrest. Tan Wen, a Christian who accompanied Zhou to pick up the Bible shipping, was arrested on Oct 9 2007.

Zhou Heng, a prominent Christian house church leader in Urumqi, Xinjiang, was arrested and accused of illegal business management. On August 3rd, Zhou received the delivery notice for a batch of printed Bibles someone sent to him. He was immediately detained without a warrant by the Shayibake District Public Security officers, who were apparently anticipating his pick-up.

Zhou suffered inhumane treatment as a detainee in custody. The officers hand-cuffed Zhou behind his back on the first day of his arrest. Zhou was forced to sleep on a concrete floor for the first month, and was only provided a bed after CAA reported about his arrest. Zhou shared the cell with 14 other inmates, who were directed by the officers to beat up on him as an attempt to make Zhou testify against himself, which Zhou refused. On August 31st, a charge was formally issued against Zhou, and he was transferred to Xishan Prison in Urumqi.
 
Zhou's wife, Chen-Jihong, and his local lawyer Zhang Jiunong, have been trying to post bail so Zhou can reunite with his family. But that request was also rejected on Oct. 16.

Beijing pastor Hua Huiqi was discharged from Tiantan Hospital by the police and transferred back to his rented house on Oct. 16, and then he was beaten up again by 4 or 5 PSB officers on the morning of Oct 17, because he wanted to use bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. The PSB officers refused his request, blocking any possibility of Hua's communication with several journalists waiting outside his house, and ordered him to stay in his bedroom, forcing his wife, Wei Jumei, to clean up the inevitable results.

Communicate your concern to the Chinese authority at the following address:

Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong,
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20008
http://www.china-embassy.org/
Tel: 202-7456743                 
Fax: 202- 588-0032; 202-7457473
Director of Religious Affairs: (202) 328-2512

Ms. Wu Aiying, minister of Ministry of Justice of PRC
Tel: +86-10-65205114
Fax: +86-10-64729863
Email: pufamaster@legalinfo.gov.cn
Address: No. 10, Nan Da Jie, Chaoyangmen, Beijing City (Zip Code: 100020
© Issued by CAA on October 18, 2007