Washington, Jan 8 (NationPress) Six individuals affiliated with an underground Protestant church in Chengdu, Sichuan have been detained by Chinese law enforcement, according to a statement from Human Rights Watch (HRW). This incident marks yet another instance in a series of arrests targeting significant unofficial "house churches" across China over the past year.

On January 6, the Early Rain Covenant Church reported that authorities raided the residence of its leader, Li Yingqiang, in Deyang and apprehended him. The church further stated that several other prominent members were also detained, as highlighted in a HRW news release.

Yalkun Uluyol, a researcher at HRW, remarked, "The Chinese government has started the new year with renewed detentions of underground Protestant church members." Uluyol added, "The authorities should release those in custody and allow them to practice their faith freely."

The detained individuals include Ye Fenghua, Yan Hong, Zeng Qingtao, and Dai Zhichao. Police have also summoned another member, Shu Qiong, for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." Another adherent, Wu Wuqing, was briefly detained and subsequently warned against involvement in the case.

HRW further stated, "The Chinese government ought to release individuals detained for their religious beliefs and practices, which are protected under international human rights law. Until their release, the authorities must provide information about the detainees' status to their families and ensure they have access to legal representation of their choice."

This crackdown on the Early Rain Covenant Church occurred shortly after the detention of around 100 members from another unofficial Protestant congregation, Yayang Church, located in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, between December 13-18, 2025, with at least 24 members still in custody.

According to the US-based religious freedom organization China Aid, local authorities surrounded the Early Rain Church on January 5 with hundreds of armed personnel and heavy machinery, seemingly to demolish parts of the church. In October 2025, a nationwide crackdown led to the arrests of nearly 30 members of Zion Protestant Church across seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang, with the church's founder, Ezra Jin Mingri, among those detained.

In mid-2025, several individuals connected to the Linfen Golden Lampstand Church, an underground Protestant group in Shanxi, were convicted of fraud, with leaders Wang Xiaoguang and Yang Rongli receiving sentences of 9 and 15 years, respectively.

Established in 2008, the Early Rain Covenant Church has faced ongoing targeting by the Chinese government. Over 100 members were detained in December 2018, and its founding pastor, Wang Yi, received a nine-year sentence in 2019 for "inciting subversion of state power" and conducting "illegal business operations." Another church leader, Qin Defu, was imprisoned for four years for similar charges. The current leader, Li Yingqiang, along with three others, was briefly detained in September 2024 on suspicion of "illegal activities."

HRW emphasized that concerned governments should denounce the Chinese government’s assault on religious freedom and exert pressure on authorities to release those connected with underground churches detained for exercising their fundamental rights.

Yalkun Uluyol stated, "The government of Xi Jinping has tightened ideological control and escalated its intolerance towards loyalties that extend beyond the Chinese Communist Party. Global governments and religious leaders should urge the Chinese regime to release those who are detained and uphold religious freedom within its borders."