The trial of Chinese pastor Zhang Shaojie began on April 10 in Nanle County, Henan Province, but court proceedings were later suspended indefinitely, after Zhang’s lawyers were detained and he had to dismiss them from his case.
According to a statement issued by Zhang’s family, the decision to dismiss the lawyers was taken following concerns that they were at risk of losing their licences. Nanle County was subject to a heavy police presence on the day of the trial; only two members of Zhang’s family were permitted to attend, and a US Embassy official was reportedly barred from the court room. China Aid also reports that Zhang’s daughter Zhang Huixin was taken to Nanle County Public Security Bureau for ‘interrogation’ along with her one-year-old daughter and mother, Zhang’s wife.
Fraud and disturbance?
Zhang Shaojie has been charged with fraud and disturbing public order. The pastor, who belongs to the Nanle County Christian Church under the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), was detained in November 2013 without any formal documentation, after church members petitioned a higher authority about a land dispute involving the church. Over 20 church members were also detained; as of January 15, China Aid reported that nine church members remained in detention and three more were missing after being taken into police custody.
