Additional Name(s): Yili
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God
Sentence: 8 Years, 3 Months' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/4/2021
Date of Sentencing: August/30/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Possession of Religious Materials Proselytizing Activities Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Figure & Religious Leadership Role
Nature of Charges: Cult
Xie Chunhua
Extra Bio Info:
Xie Chunhua is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On October 4, 2021, authorities in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, detained Xie because of her religious activities with the Church of Almighty God, including possessing and disseminating religious materials and gathering together with other members.
On August 30, 2023, the Jiaojiang District Court of Taizhou City sentenced Xie to eight years and three months in prison for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL). The court also fined her 15,000 yuan.
Publicly Available Information:
- "CAG Christians Collectively Given Heavy Jail Terms As CCP Escalates Efforts To Ban The Church" Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom
Additional Name(s): Zhou Tao, Xinyue
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God
Appeal: Rejected
Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: October/15/2021
Date of Sentencing: August/24/2023
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Possession of Religious Materials Proselytizing Activities Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Cult
Wu Xiangzhen
Extra Bio Info:
Wu Xiangzhen is imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
In October 2021, authorities in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province detained Wu amid mass arrests of Church of Almighty God members. Police arrested Wu in relation to her possession and dissemination of religious materials, missionary activities, and religious leadership role.
On August 24, 2023, the Court of Yiwu City in Zhejiang Province sentenced Wu to seven years in prison for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL). The court also fined her 70,000 yuan.
On November 15, 2023, the Intermediate People’s Court of Jinhua City reportedly rejected Wu’s appeal.
Publicly Available Information:
- "CAG Christians Collectively Given Heavy Jail Terms As CCP Escalates Efforts To Ban The Church" Association for the Defense of Human Rights and Religious Freedom
Sep 5, 2025
Despite Efforts to Promote Religious Tolerance and Reduce Terrorism, Indonesia’s Laws Limit Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a country update on religious freedom conditions in Indonesia following a commissioner-led delegation to the country in May 2025.
Indonesia Country Update - This report provides an update on religious freedom conditions in Indonesia. While the state has taken steps to promote religious tolerance and reduce incidents of religiously motivated terrorism, it has also continued to employ legal frameworks—including a presidential decree and the Criminal Code—to regulate religion, criminalize blasphemy, and broadly infringe on freedom of religion or belief. Indonesia’s religious minorities continue to experience systematic and ongoing discrimination while facing challenges in obtaining official recognition, conducting religious activities, and constructing houses of worship.
USCIRF has recommended Indonesia for the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List (SWL) since 2020, including in the 2025 Annual Report, and for the equivalent designations from 2003 to 2019, for the country’s systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress, intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].