(Xi’an, Shaanxi, China — July 17, 2025) The trial of Lian Changnian, Lian Xuliang, and Preacher Fu Juan from Xi’an Church of Abundance, charged with “fraud,” was held on July 9, 2025. According to records disclosed by the defense attorneys, the defendants were denied their right to legal defense, and their statements were altered. Preacher Fu Juan fainted in court due to a surge in blood pressure caused by outrage over the prosecution’s blatant lies. The defense lawyers protested the absence of fairness and justice. The entire trial bore unmistakable indications of manipulation, turning what should have been a demonstration of judicial fairness into a symbol of religious persecution targeting Christians.
One defense attorney believes that the trial process was full of violations of the law’s dignity and fundamental human rights. Even before the trial began, procedural justice had been entirely undermined. Several victims were warned and threatened by local community officials and police to not attend the trial to reveal the truth. Among them, Sister Qin Wen was even illegally administratively detained on June 30 and forcibly terminated from her position as the vice principal of a kindergarten.
The defense attorneys for the accused and the victims were all illegally stripped of their legal representation qualifications, rendering them unable to defend the three Christians. Despite arriving early at the courthouse and lining up to enter, they were forced to sit on the courthouse steps and denied entry to the court.
The trial was forcibly conducted in the absence of both defense attorneys and witnesses. A series of shocking procedural violations following the beginning of the trial began to unfold. The court even skipped the critical pretrial preparation phase and proceeded directly to the trial investigation. When the prosecutor attempted to read the indictment, the three defendants protested strongly, declaring:
“You are not allowing the victims to attend court and reveal the truth. You have barred their lawyers from participating in the trial. You have illegally removed the defendants’ defense lawyers. You are violating the litigants’ legal rights. This is not a lawful trial!” Amid the anguished protest of the litigants, the prosecutor was unable to proceed, and the presiding judge had to call a recess.
After a brief adjournment, Pastor Lian Changnian and Preacher Fu Juan were taken to separate courtrooms to continue the trial via video, a move that only heightened the sense of opacity and manipulation. When the prosecutor resumed reading the indictment, the three defendants immediately challenged the content, stating that the accusations did not align with the facts. The horror deepened when the prosecution began presenting so-called “evidence”: the defendants discovered many of these “evidences” were outright fabrications, drastically different from their original statements, and completely contrary to the truth.
They exposed the situation in court:
“Many parts of these transcripts are false, either fabricated by the investigators or by the prosecutors.”
The judicial authorities not only tortured the defendants to extract confessions but also fabricated statements. Their lack of respect for the law and apparent fearlessness of accountability is what makes this case so deeply chilling.
When Preacher Fu Juan heard the outrageous lies, she became highly agitated. Although she usually had low blood pressure, it instantly surged to 142, and she collapsed in the courtroom. The court’s medical personnel rushed to her aid, and it took five Suxiao Jiuxin Pills for her to regain consciousness. The judge, showing no concern, coldly asked the doctor about her condition, to which the doctor repeatedly responded, “Heart rate and blood pressure are normal.” Even more callously, the judge told the just-conscious Fu Juan, “You should stop pretending.”
Fu Juan’s defense lawyer admitted to feeling profoundly powerless and helpless. As a defense attorney, one would typically be confident and impassioned, wielding the sword of the law with years of honed professional skills, through the mouth of the lawyer, using the force of reason and legal argument to defend Fu Juan’s rights. However, during this trial, the lawyer felt bound and silenced, able only to shout, even to the point of weeping.
Meanwhile, the court used technical measures to mute Pastor Lian Changnian’s voice. During the trial, the court summoned four police officers to testify, the only witnesses for the trial. Their purpose was to deny having tortured or extorted forced confessions from the defendants during the investigation. However, during the six-month-long residential surveillance at a designated location, they were under 24-hour video monitoring in every room. Rather than reviewing the surveillance footage, the court relied on the false testimonies given by the police. This is not only a mockery of the law but also an attempt to conceal the truth.
During the closing statements, Pastor Lian Xuliang spoke powerfully, refuting all the false accusations against him in the indictment. He clearly stated that the Church of Abundance had never fabricated facts nor hidden the truth. The church’s pastors always emphasized to church members that the Church of Abundance was an unregistered house church, but it was precisely this identity that drew many Christians to gather at this church.
The offerings of the Church of Abundance strictly followed biblical teachings, emphasizing the principle of giving voluntarily. Before every offering, the church clearly informs first-time visitors and those who do not understand the meaning of offerings not to give offerings. Offerings were collected and managed by church members, while expenditures were decided upon and supervised by the congregation’s leaders. The church maintained complete transparency in its finances.
The Church of Abundance not only stays committed to its faith but is also devoted to charitable work. They donated to the Wenchuan earthquake relief effort and were awarded an honorary certificate by the Xi’an Red Cross. For years, they actively served in nursing homes and orphanages, putting love and care into practical action.
The relationship between the church’s pastors and members are like family. When members encountered difficulties, pastors would be the first ones to offer help. The prosecution’s claim of “spiritual control” was entirely baseless. Pastor Lian Xuliang concluded:
“Christians are not afraid to be persecuted for their faith. It is an honor to be persecuted for our faith. However, we hope China is not a country that persecutes faith, but one governed by the rule of law, freedom, and equality. We hope our children can live joyfully in such a world.”
This trial not only exposed serious issues of law enforcement officers allegedly engaging in torture and forced confessions, as well as judicial loopholes in which illegal evidence has yet to be excluded, but even more so revealed how, in the face of certain powers, the dignity of the law is trampled at will. The legitimate rights of citizens are ruthlessly stripped away. Pastor Lian Changnian has suffered severe physical and psychological harm, yet the court has refused to assess his health condition or hold those responsible accountable.
In light of these abuses, the defense attorneys issued a collective question: When the courtroom becomes a stage for lies, when justice is hijacked by power, when victims’ voices are silenced and lawyers’ rights are stripped away, how far are we from a true rule-of-law society? We call on the relevant authorities to confront these problems, thoroughly investigate this case, exclude any illegal evidence, and hold those responsible legally accountable, so that the Church of Abundance can receive a fair trial, and China’s faith communities can have a space to live, one that is of liberty and equality.
The Church of Abundance, established 30 years ago, is affiliated with the “China Gospel Fellowship.” As an unregistered house church, it was officially banned on August 19, 2022, when the Xi’an Civil Affairs Bureau issued a notice of prohibition. On August 17, 2022, the church was raided by authorities. The Shilipu Police Station in Xi’an detained Pastors Lian Changnian, Lian Xuliang, and their coworker, Fu Juan, on suspicion of “fraud” charges and placed them under residential surveillance at a designated location. During this period, the three endured torture, including being starved, beaten, force-fed unknown drugs, and denied access to the bathroom for extended periods. As a result, seventy-one-year-old Pastor Lian Changnian’s health deteriorated, leading to his release on bail for medical treatment.
(Reported by Special Correspondent Ningmeng of ChinaAid)