(Wuhu, Anhui Province – August 12, 2024) On the morning of August 1, 2024, the People’s Court of Yijiang District, Wuhu City held a closed trial for three Christians – Han Yanlei, Lü Zhaojin, and Xie Zhifeng – charged with “illegal business operations”. The trial process was reportedly calm, and the court will announce the verdict at a later date.
The prosecution believes that the Xuande School, affiliated with the Mount Carmel Church, operated without permission from the education department, violating students’ right to education. Although the school was operating at a loss, it was still deemed to be profit-driven, potentially constituting the crime of illegal business operations.
The defense lawyers argued that according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and some international conventions, minors also have the right to religious freedom, and parents have the right to choose the type of education for their children. The defendants did not force any parents to send their children to the school. Instead of depriving children of their right to education, they provided more choices and broader horizons. Public schools’ materialist education cannot guarantee children’s right to religious belief. Children at Xuande School were growing up healthy, but after the school was disbanded, some students experienced serious physical and mental problems.
Moreover, the defendants only received salaries and had no plans for dividends or profit-making, thus not constituting illegal business operations.
The lawyers argued that administrative authorities should not merely punish or criminalize the defendant. They should protect and respect the needs of parents and students.
Another defense lawyer mentioned the Christian tradition of valuing education, including missionaries establishing many schools and hospitals in China. The entire country has benefited from this, so how can Christian education be considered illegal business?
On May 27, 2021, the Xuande School of Mount Carmel Church was raided. Teachers Wan Hongxia, Han Yanlei, and Xie Zhifeng were taken away, and another teacher, Wang Minghai, was also arrested at his hospital job. The four teachers were sent to detention centers that day and criminally detained the next day on charges of “illegal business operations”. Six other teachers were released on bail.
The following day, the Wuhu Civil Affairs Bureau announced on its official website the ban of the Mount Carmel Church, to which Xuande School belonged. In early August of the same year, the four teachers were formally arrested by the Yijiang Branch of Wuhu Public Security Bureau on suspicion of “illegal business operations” and detained in Wuhu No. 1 Detention Center.
On February 28, 2022, two of the four teachers involved in the “illegal business operations” case, Han Yanlei and Xie Zhifeng, were released on bail. Wang Minghai and Wan Hongxia were formally indicted by the procuratorate and transferred to the court for trial. After several delays, a closed trial was finally held on January 12, 2023. The trial results were not announced in court, but through the efforts of lawyers, Wang Minghai and Wan Hongxia were placed under residential surveillance at a designated residence and left the detention center to return home on that day.
Charging with crimes such as “illegal business operations” and “fraud” has been a common tactic used in recent years to suppress house churches in mainland China. These malicious methods not only aim to destroy churches but also increase local fiscal revenue through fines, killing two birds with one stone.
