(Linfen, Shanxi Province, China – February 19, 2025) After many twists and turns, the pre-trial conference for the Linfen Covenant House Church case was finally held on the morning of February 18, 2025, at the Yaodu District Court in Linfen. The wives of the three accused Christians – Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang – as well as church members were not allowed to enter the courtroom. According to the defense lawyers, the pre-trial conference featured intense debates, with the prosecutor’s charges revealing numerous contradictions and legal violations. The lawyers strongly contested these points, hoping the prosecutors would return to rationality. The three accused Christians remained as steady as mountains.
At 6 AM that day, the wives of Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang, along with dozens of church members from Linfen Covenant House Church, arrived early outside the court, hoping to catch a glimpse of Li Jie and Han Xiaodong, whom they hadn’t seen for over two years (Wang Qiang has been released on bail). After waiting for three hours, several special police vehicles whizzed past. Everyone was very emotional – although they couldn’t see through the dark glass of the police vehicles, the Christians still shouted loudly: “Li Jie, Xiaodong, we miss you!” Li Jie’s wife, Li Shanshan, jumped up and shouted, “Li Jie, I love you!” A nearby special police officer remarked that their shouting made it seem like they were seeing heroes. Some police officers acknowledged this was a wrongful case and persecution of a Christian church.
The pre-trial conferences on both the first and second days continued until evening, with family members and church members singing hymns and praying outside the Yaodu District Court. The exclusion of illegal evidence will be addressed at the next pre-trial conference. The timing of the next pre-trial conference is currently unknown.
Video: Pre-trial Conference Briefing
(Reported by Special Correspondent Ningmeng for ChinaAid)
