(Zhejiang — September 17, 2026) A prominent pastor in eastern China who has faced repeated detention since opposing a government campaign to remove church crosses more than a decade ago remains in custody as a court again delays resolution of his latest criminal case.
On Aug. 21, the Pingyang County People’s Court in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, notified Pastor Huang Yizi’s wife, Lin Aili, by text that the case-handling period had again been extended. The new deadline for a ruling is Nov. 24, according to the notice.
The notice did not give a reason for the extension. Huang Yizi, pastor of Fengwo Church in Shuitou Town, Pingyang County, has been detained since June 26, 2025, when police searched his home and took him into custody on suspicion of “illegal business operations.”
Four other Christians from Zhejiang were detained at the same time. All have since been released or had other legal restrictions lifted, leaving Huang as the only one still detained as the case proceeds.
Legal experts and observers cited by ChinaAid said they believe the continued focus on Pastor Huang indicates authorities intend to secure a conviction against him. The case centers on the distribution of audio Bible players containing recordings of Huang’s sermons to church members.
A pretrial conference was held April 20, and the formal trial was scheduled for April 24–25. Defense observers have said the case is relatively straightforward and that those involved in distributing the devices did not engage in commercial activity or profit from them.
Those observers have criticized the prolonged delay in a ruling and Pastor Huang’s continued detention as “detention in lieu of trial,” arguing that extended custody can place psychological and physical pressure on defendants to plead guilty or accept a compromise.
Huang was born into a family with four generations of Christian heritage. He began participating in church ministry at age 14, was ordained as a pastor at 28 and established the Shenzhou Evangelistic Mission at age 30.
He first gained wider attention in 2014, when he publicly opposed a campaign by Zhejiang authorities to remove crosses from churches. The campaign led to confrontations between officials and Christians across the province.
In July 2014, clashes between police and residents occurred during the forced demolition of Salvation Church in Pingyang, injuring several Christians. Pastor Huang later went to the scene to mediate and attempted to calm the crowd.
Police arrested Huang the following month. In March 2015, the Pingyang County People’s Court sentenced him to one year in prison for “gathering a crowd to disrupt social order.”
One month after his release, Huang was detained again in September 2015 on suspicion of “illegal provision of state secrets to foreign entities” and held for five months under “residential surveillance at a designated location.”
Since then, local authorities have closely monitored Pastor Huang’s movements and disrupted his online preaching activities. The Pingyang County People’s Court and local judicial authorities have not publicly commented on the latest extension.
Gao Zhensai is a special correspondent for ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.