On Nov. 25 a court in northern China sentenced five leaders of an unauthorized Protestant church to prison terms of up to seven years on charges including illegal assembly.

The sentences are among the harshest in recent years for members of house churches -- congregations that refuse to register and accept the authority of the government's Religious Affairs Bureau.

Then just days later on Nov. 30, five more church leaders from the same 50,000-member Linfen Fushan Church in Linfen, Shanxi province were sentenced. Each received two years in “re-education through labour” camps--an arbitrary administrative sentence by the Public Security Bureau enacted so the leaders would not be “required” to go through the court and prosecution system.

China's Communist government requires all Protestants to worship in the non-denominational Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The unregistered congregations, which are known as "house churches," suffer varying degrees of harassment from authorities yet seem to be booming.

The first group of pastors sentenced was Mr. Wang Xiaoguang and his wife Yang Rongli, as well as Mr. Yang Xuan, Mr. Cui Jiaxing, and Mr. Zhang Huamei.

The second group was Mr. Li Shuangping, Ms. Yang Hongzhen, Ms. Yang Caizhen (whose husband, Pastor Yang Xuan had received a 3-year sentence), Ms. Gao Qin, and Ms. Zhao Guoai.

The second group was accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order." They had organized a prayer rally held on Sept. 14 that was attended by a thousand people. The day before the church had been attacked by over 400 military police. Seventeen church buildings were destroyed and over 30 believers were seriously wounded. Linfen House Church Christians continue to be monitored by Chinese military police, including neighbouring Golden Lampstand Church in Linfen City.

According to a witness, Ms. Yang Caizhen was seen being beaten severely during an interrogation. Having had one of her front teeth knocked out during a beating, and having fasted and prayed during her detention, Ms. Yang is reported to look very fragile. All ten Christian leaders plan to appeal.

"To arbitrarily send five [more] innocent citizens to labour camps is in direct violation against the international human rights covenants and norms the Chinese government has signed and even ratified," said Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid Association. The organization monitors China’s human rights violations against house church Christians.

ChinaAid said on its website that it “denounces the arbitrary and severe criminal detentions issued to these innocent church leaders. We call on the international community to voice their outrage against the unjust and illegal procedures enacted against the ten Linfen Church leaders, and urge the Chinese authorities to conduct a fair trial, and release them according to Chinese law.”  --Various sources including ChinaAid