Sunday, January 28, after they were attacked by police, fellow believers said.
China Aid Association (CAA), an advocacy group representing several house churches in China, told BosNewsLife that the activist, Hua Huiqi, and his mother were attacked Friday, January 26 while walking near a 2008 Olympic Games hotel site.
"Seven police officers attacked both Hua and his mom," CAA quoted his wife Wei Jumei as saying. They were allegedly kicked on the ground and then taken away to the Olympic Police Station for questioning.
"When Hua asked the police to explain the legal grounds for the detention and urged them to release his mom who is sick, he was beaten up repeatedly," CAA said.
COLD WATER
Police reportedly started pouring cold water over him despite freezing temperatures in Beijing. "While Hua was trembling because of the freezing cold water, he was taken away to a detention center."
On Saturday, January 27, Hua’s wife was told by police over the phone that Hua had been sentenced for one month of criminal detention, CAA said, adding that family members have not yet received "official notification."
It was not immediately clear how long his mother would remain behind bars.
CAA linked the detention to the "very active" involvement of Hua and his wife in the house church movement in Beijing and their support for apparently persecuted believers.
PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS
"They have been assisting lots of persecuted Christians and oppressed peasants who travel to Beijing from other parts of the country to seek justice from the central government," said CAA President Bob Fu, a former house church pastor.
"The detention of innocent peaceful Christians like Mr. Hua and his mom is certainly contradictory to the Chinese government’s human rights commitment for 2008 Beijing Olympics," added Fu, a former coworker of Hua.
"We urge the Chinese government to immediately release both of them and hold those abusive police accountable."
Chinese officials were not immediately available to respond to the latest reports. However the Chinese authorities have consistently denied human rights abuses, saying Christians are free to worship in the government-backed denominations. (With BosNewsLife Research. bosnewslife.com)
