Contact: Annee Kahler, Media Coordinator, 267-210-8278, Annee@ChinaAid.org; Jenny McCloy, Directory of Advocacy (Washington, DC), 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org; www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org

XINJIANG, China, Feb. 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- On January 18, 2010, Gulinuer issued a call to Christians around the world to pray for her husband Alimujiang Yimiti, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison. She shared her words via a recorded video message, which was first posted on January 28, 2010. The video has already been blocked in China on more than 10 different websites.

Watch Gulinuer's video appeal, and read the full text of Guli's Petition for Prayer.

Gulinuer and Alimujiang led a house church in the predominantly Uyghur-Muslim Kashgar area. In 2007, Alimujiang was accused of spreading Christianity and on January 11, 2008, he was arrested and detained for nearly two years in prison, without a verdict in his case. He was indicted in June, 2009. (See a summary of Alimujiang's case).

On November 25, 2009, Alimujiang was unjustly convicted of "illegally providing state secrets to overseas organizations" and given the maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and 5 years deprivation of political rights. His verdict was not received by Alimujiang's defense lawyer until December 7, 2009.

On January 10, 2010, Attorney Li Baiguang filed Alimujiang's appeal. ChinaAid was also able to obtain copies of his indictment and verdict papers from a sympathetic government source. (View the translated Indictment and Verdict).

Through it all, Gulinuer has persevered in the faith. When she first heard about Alim's severe sentence in December, Guli responded, "I am no longer thinking about this from a human perspective: Our Heavenly Father must have his perfect will in it." Her two young sons miss their father terribly, and pray for him daily.

Despite the persecution of her family, Gulinuer remains active in her small Christian community. She frequently travels to encourage and comfort others in need. Since her conversion to Christianity, she said she has "always felt, or could even say have been slightly blinded by, a life of happiness, harmony, and love in the presence of the Lord."

Gulinuer draws strength from two specific scripture passages, Romans 5:2-5 and Matthew 7:13-14. She urges her fellow Christian brothers and sisters to continue to "offer up your most fervent prayers and move the hand of God to change this present situation."

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