Chinese authorities tighten crackdown on Zion Church and Falun Gong practitioners

In the ongoing Zion Church case, nine members received bail while another nine remain detained after authorities initially arrested 18 clergy and staff in November 2025. The charges were altered from "illegal use of information networks" to "illegal business" and "fraud," and the church is demanding the dismissal of all accusations and the immediate release of the remaining detainees.

In Tangshan, six Falun Gong practitioners who spoke at a market in November 2025 were subjected to an illegal trial on June 4, 2026. The prosecutor disclosed that the case had been filed five months before the arrests, and the court proceedings featured threats to observers, forcible removal of spectators, and the denial of legal representation, including for an 84‑year‑old wheelchair‑bound defendant. The trial resulted in harsh sentences, with some defendants placed under bail pending further proceedings.