Prominent House Church Leader Zhang Rongliang Sentenced to Seven and A Half Years in Prison; Family Members Concerned his Heath; CAA Released Prosecution Paper

China Aid Association
Prominent House Church Leader, Zhang Rongliang, Sentenced to Seven and A Half Years in Prison; Family Members are Concerned for his Heath; CAA Released Prosecution Paperimage
Photo: The arrest warrant paper issued by PSB of Xinmi City, Henan province
(CAA(Midland, Texas)-July 8, 2006) China Aid confirms that one of the most prominent Chinese House Movement Leaders, Pastor Zhang Rongliang, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on July 4, 2006. The verdict paper was issued June 29, by Zhongmu County People’s Court though neither Zhang’s wife nor any members of his immediate family has received it. Zhang was arrested December 1, 2004. According to a CAA source, 55-year-old Pastor Zhang was arrested at Xuzhai Village, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province in a rented apartment. The apartment was searched and all Pastor Zhang’s Christian DVDs, materials and photos revealing relationships with foreigners and foreign agencies were confiscated. Zhang’s wife and their two sons have been deeply concerned for his welfare and safety, especially as he has suffered from serious diabetes for seven years. His disease was so serious that he was taken to the Xinmi City People’s Hospital from his detention center December 19, 2005 until January 23, 2006 for emergency treatment. He was seen handcuffed and chained to his hospital bed.  Zhang was charged with “attaining an illegal passport” and with “illegal border crossing” for international travel to the US, Australia, Egypt and Singapore for world mission conferences.(read the whole text of prosecution paper).Pastor Zhang is the leader of the Fangcheng Mother Church, Henan and the leader of the China for Christ Church, which is one of the largest house church networks estimated to have more than 10 million members. He is well known by the international community as one of the house church patriarchs. He is a co-author of the published House Churches of China’s Confession of Faith and Declaration in 1999. He has been featured in a number of international articles and books, including ‘Jesus in Beijing’ (2003) by former TIME journalist, David Aikman, Newsweek (12th May 2004), TIME magazine, Charisma and Christianity Today. Last year, European Parliament passed a resolution demanding Pastor Zhang’s release.
Pastor Zhang has been wanted since his last imprisonment in August 1999. During 5 separate detentions he has already spent twelve years in prison for his faith since his secret baptism in 1969. He experienced extreme torture including electric shocks during his prison terms. “We are deeply disappointed for this extraordinary harsh verdict given the fact that the Chinese authorities often deny passports and other travel documents to well-known religious leaders like Pastor Zhang.” Said Bob Fu, President of China Aid and personal friend of Pastor Zhang and his family, “This is yet another case showing the Chinese government’s new tactic of religious persecution in the name of criminal charges.”
List of Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the US:
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel:(202) 328-2500 Fax: (202) 588-0032
Director of Religious Affairs:
(202) 328-2512

Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, IL
Address: 100 West Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Tel: (312) 803-0095
Fax: (312) 803-0110

Chinese Consulate General in Houston, TX
Address: 3417 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006
Tel: (713) 524-0780
Fax: (713) 524-7656

Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, CA
Address: 443 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Tel: (213) 807-8018
Fax: (213) 380-1961

Chinese Consulate General in New York, NY
Address: 520 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 244 9392
Fax: (212) 502 0258

Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, CA
Address: 1450 Laguna St. San Francisco, CA 94115
Tel: (415) 674-2940
Fax: (415) 563-4861

Issued by China Aid Association, Inc. on July 8, 2006.
February 24, 2005
Suggestions on Prosecution
By the Public Safety Bureau of the City of Xinmi
Document number: Xinmi Gong Xing Su (2005) 056

Suspect: Zhang Rongliang
Alias:  Sun Rongming, Sun Yuewu, Gao Xianchen, Li De’en
Gender: male
Date of Birth: July 15, 1950
Place of Birth: Fangcheng County, Henan Province,
ID number: 412922195007151177
Ethnic group: Han
Education level: elementary school,
Career: peasant
Registered address: 215 Bachanglu, Chengguan Township, Wancheng County, Nanyang City
Actual address: 5-3 East, Jiahe Wanshi Huayuan, 8 Guojilu, Zhengzhou City

Zhang Rongliang was sentenced to seven years in prison in 1976 by the People’s Court of Wancheng County, Nanyang City, on the charge of counter revolution, and was released after serving this sentence.  On February 11, 1994, he was detained and interrogated due to bothering social order.  On November 20, 1999, he was sentenced to three years’ reeducation through labor on the charge of bothering social order by the Committee on Reeducation through Labor of the People’s Government of Nanyang City.  On February 2, 2000, he was put on medical parole.  On December 1, 2004, he was detained by the Public Security Bureau of Zhengzhou City, on the charge of obtaining illegal travel documents, and was arrested on December 31 of the same year with the approval of the People’s Procuratorate of Xinmi City.
Notified and entrusted by the Domestic Security Team of the Public Security Department of Henan Province, the Domestic Security Team of the Public Security Bureau of Zhengzhou City, after reviewing the case, registered it and started to make investigations on July 22, 2004.  Zhang Rongliang was taken into custody on December 1, 2004.  Investigations on this case, which was transferred to us on December 25, 2004, are closed now.
Investigations indicate that Zhang Rongliang defrauded the Public Security Bureau of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, the Public Security Bureau of Zhengzhou City, and the Public Security Bureau of Pingdingshan City of overseas travel documents, three times from 2000 to 2004.
1.      May 25, 2000, Zhang Rongliang cheated Zhengjia Police Station of Dongchangfu Branch of the Public Security Bureau of Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, of two household records and IDs in the name of Gao Xianchen and Gao Jingyi.  And on June 29 of the same year, with these records and IDs, he applied for two passports from the Border Control of the Public Security Bureau of Liaocheng City, numbered 149923151 and 149923154 respectively.  From June 6, 2001 to January 1, 2004, Zhang Rongliang, holding the passport of Gao Xiancheng, went abroad eleven times.
2.      From September 6 to October 18, 2003, Zhang Rongliang obtained through cheating three residence booklets with eleven people’s records and their IDs from the Chengguan Police Station of the Public Security Bureau of Xinmi City in the name of Sun Rongming, Chen Heping, Sun Qingxin, Zhang Aiping, Sun Hetian, Zheng Tiansheng, Li Xiuzhi, Zheng Laifa, Zheng Qingchen and Xu Duojia.  And from January 6 to May 17, 2004, he applied to the Border Control of the Domestic Security Team of the Public Security Bureau of Xinmi City for nine passports and two Hong Kong-Macao passes: Sun Rongming, passport number G09854350, Chen Heping, passport number G09854348, Sun Qingxin, passport number G10489068, Zhang Aiping, passport number G10489067, Sun Hetian, passport number G10489069, Zheng Qingchen, passport number G09872922, Hong Kong-Macao pass number W02744297, Xu Duojia, passport number G09872921, Hong Kong-Macao pass number W02744298, Zheng Tiansheng, passport number G09877251, Zheng Laifa, passport number G09879257.  From February to May, 2004, Zhang Rongliang, with the passport of Sun Rongming, went abroad three times.  And his son and daughter-in-law went abroad once.
3.      On August 27, 2004, Zhang Rongliang defrauded Malou Police Station of Lushan County, Pingdingshan City, of a residence booklet with five people’s records and their IDs in the name of Li De’en, Li Aihua, Li Wenhua, Li Shengli, and Li Qiang.  On September 21, 2004, Zhang Rongliang and his wife, using the residence records and IDs obtained illegally, applied to the Border Control of the Public Security Bureau of Pingdingshan City for two passports bearing the names of Li De’en and Li Aihua and numbered G12358865 and G12358866 respectively.  In November 2004, Zhang Rongliang, holding the passport of Le De’en, went abroad once.
The above-mentioned crimes were verified on the basis of the following evidences: fraudulent residence records, witnesses’ testimonies about application for residence records and IDs, inquiries about application for going abroad by the border control authorities, departure records provided by the Border Control of the Department of Public Security of Henan Province, Zhang Rongliang’s confessions.

There is enough evidence to verify the above-mentioned crimes.
In summary, Zhang Rongliang, illegally obtained residence records, and then passports, and eventually achieved the goal of going abroad.  His conduct is in violation of article 319 of the Criminal Code of the People’s Republic of China, which provides for the crime on fraudulent passports.  In accordance with article 129 of the Criminal Litigation Code of the People’s Republic of China, this case is hereby submitted to the People’s Procuratorate of Xinmi City.
P.S.: 1.    File of this case: volume number    page number
    2.    Zhang Rongliang is now imprisoned in the Third Detention Center of Zhengzhou City.




China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected] 
Website: www.chinaaid.org

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Prominent House Church Leader Zhang Rongliang Sentenced to Seven and A Half Years in Prison; Family Members Concerned his Heath; CAA Released Prosecution Paper

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