Guangxi, China — September 10, 2026 — Family members of the so-called “Zion 8” have reported severe overcrowding, inadequate medical care and harsh disciplinary practices at the detention centers where the eight are being held.
The eight are members of Beijing Zion Church, a prominent house church whose members were swept up in a crackdown by Chinese authorities in October 2025. They remain detained at Beihai’s First and Second Detention Centers in Guangxi, an autonomous region in southern China, facing charges of “fraud” and “illegal business operations” related to their church ministry and sale of online religious courses.
Human rights activist Shiming Lei summarized reports about the conditions in a post on X, including severe weight loss among several Zion Church members. “No wonder Pastor Jin and Pastor Wang both lost thirty jin (about 15 kg) in Beihai Detention Center, and Sister An Mei got so thin she’s skin and bones,” Lei wrote.
The reports come as the legal case against the eight continues. The church’s founder, Pastor Ezra Jin, was released after nine months in detention following high-level diplomatic engagement between Washington and Beijing, as previously reported by ChinaAid News.
The remaining eight defendants were scheduled for trial Aug. 14-18, but the proceedings were delayed after defense lawyers objected that they had insufficient time to review the case files.
Conditions inside the detention centers
Released detainees and family members report that 36 people sleep on a communal platform bed in a detention room of about 40 square meters. The room has a washbasin on one side and an open toilet on the other. During Beihai’s hot, humid summers, the windows reportedly have no screens; in winter, they have no glass covering.
Daily life reportedly includes mandatory political re-education and physical punishment. Detainees must squat three times a day with their hands on their heads as part of the “Three Positions” exercise and sit in fixed positions for as long as three hours at a time. They must also watch state-sponsored news and sing political songs three times a day praising the Chinese Communist Party, national leaders and the military.
Some detainees have characterized the exercises and fixed-position sitting as “a form of torture” because of the severe pain involved.
Food and medical care are also concerns. Detainees’ meals are reportedly limited to oil-free boiled vegetables and soybeans. Family members say prolonged malnutrition has caused significant weight loss among several pastors, while some detainees with serious illnesses have not received necessary medication or treatment.
Sister An Mei, who was released on bail pending trial after eight months in detention, was described as extremely thin after reportedly losing 66 pounds.
“My son has been imprisoned for ten months because of his faith, arrested in October and until the physical exam in June, and he rapidly lost 30 jin (approximately 15 kilograms),” Lin Wenyu, the mother of detained Pastor Wang Lin, said in a public video dated Aug. 29.
In two videos posted in early September, Lin described additional rules and punishments. She said mosquitoes enter through the unscreened windows and that detainees must raise their hands and report being bitten before trying to kill them. Violations can result in prolonged periods of standing as punishment. She also said detainees have at times been forced to stand in the rain while eating.
Prolonged stays in overcrowded, unsanitary rooms have reportedly caused several detainees to develop severe heat rash and eczema. Family members also say requests for more nutritious food have been rejected.
Legal challenges and case status
The case has also drawn criticism from defense lawyers over the handling of the prosecution. It was reportedly transferred to the People’s Procuratorate of Yinhai District, Beihai City, for review for prosecution on June 18, 2026, and formally brought before the People’s Court of Yinhai District for prosecution on July 17.
Defense lawyers say prosecutors failed to notify them during the process or lawfully solicit their defense opinions. Articles 261 and 262 of the Criminal Procedure Rules of the People’s Procuratorates require procuratorial authorities to solicit defense lawyers’ opinions during the review-for-prosecution stage and record those opinions in the case file.
Lawyers contend that the handling prosecutor transferred the case for prosecution without meeting those requirements, which they say infringed on the defendants’ right to a defense.
According to informed sources, Wang Zhong and Wu Qiuyu have applied for bail pending trial because of health and family circumstances. Authorities have not yet approved their applications.
As President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare for a planned Sept. 24 meeting in Washington, advocates are seeking renewed attention on the Zion 8 case.
With communication rights reportedly restricted for extended periods, families and advocates continue to raise concerns about the physical and mental well-being of the eight church members as they await the next stage of the case.
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.