Christian entrepreneurs face hefty prison terms in China for selling audio bible players as Beijing intensifies its crackdown on religion
Five Christian businessmen are facing hefty jail terms in China after being arrested for selling audio players of the bible in two separate cases, according to reports.
One of them, Lai Jinqiang, ran a major manufacturer of the devices while the other four were the legal representatives of a firm that worked with churches and book stores to distribute similar players, it is said.
All of them are said to have been charged with the crime of 'illegal business operations' - which can lead to more than five years of imprisonment - as Beijing continues to clamp down on religious activities to cement its leadership.
All of the five defendants were arrested in a southern Chinese city for selling audio players that would allow Christian believers to listen to the bible. Pictured is a bilingual version of the bible
It is believed that both cases have been heard behind closed doors due to its sensitivity at a district court in the southern city of Shenzhen, where the two companies were based, reported VOA.
The authorities have allegedly banned the lawyers and family members of the defendants from revealing information about the cases to other people.
The first case focuses on entrepreneur Lai, the owner of a company that produced and sold digital bible players, according to China Aid, a US human rights organisation founded by American-Chinese pastor Bob Fu.
A detailed post from China Aid said that Lai is a member of The China Gospel Fellowship, a house church network.
He and several other fellow Christians founded the company in 2007 with the technical help from unnamed Hong Kong businessmen.
Both companies were based in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong Province. The file picture shows the main hall of Tian Hou temple from the Song Dynasty in Chiwan, Shenzhen
It is said that the company made a type of popular MP3 player, which allowed elderly followers to listen to the bible through audio files stored in an SD card.
Lai became the sole owner of the company in 2009. With his extensive networks, his company soon grew to be the largest bible audio player trader in the country - dealing some 40,000 items a month.
Lai was taken away by the authorities in the middle of 2019 and detained for 16 months before he stood trial at the Shenzhen Bao'an Court on December 7, China Aid claimed.
The second case concerns a communication agency that promoted the bible through the sales of digital players, according to Weiquan Net, a Chinese website which publishes updates about activists.
It is believed that both cases have been heard behind closed doors due to its sensitivity at a district court in the southern city of Shenzhen, where the two firms were based, reported VOA
Weiquan Net claimed that four of the company's legal representatives, namely Fu Xuanjuan, Deng Tianyong, Han Li and Feng Qunhao, are all Christians and were detained by the authorities on July 3 this year.
It is said that the quartet's firm had established 'good relations' with domestic and international churches, book stores and distributors and would provide players with tailor-made audio content.
They were officially arrested on August 6 after public persecutors indicted them over 'illegal business operations'.
The case was heard on December 9 at the Shenzhen Bao'an Court.
China's religious authority has called for restrictions on non-Chinese nationals to stamp out 'religious extremism' in new proposed regulations. The picture shows security guards patrolling past St Joseph's Church, or Wangfujing Catholic Church, in Beijing on October 22
The public persecutors suggested the judge give Fu a five-year prison sentence and put the others in jail for various lengths from 18 months to three years, said Weiquan Net, citing relevant court papers.
The court is yet to rule on either of the cases, it is understood.
The crime of 'illegal business operations' typically carries a maximum prison term of five years. However, the culprit may face longer imprisonment if their circumstances are deemed 'particularly serious', according to the Chinese Criminal Law.
The news came just two months after a Chinese online bookstore owner was reportedly jailed for seven years for selling religious books.
Chen Yu, a Christian believer, was found guilty of 'illegal business operations' after trading religious titles from foreign publishers through his e-commerce shop based in China, according to multiple news outlets.
Chen's sentence showed that Beijing 'is increasingly frightened by all things religious', a human rights organisation said.
Beijing has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party since President Xi took office in 2013. This photo taken on June 4, 2019 shows people walking past a screen showing images of President Xi in Kashgar, Xinjiang
China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party.
The government has cracked down on underground churches, both Protestant and Catholic, and established 're-education camps' for Muslims in the far-western province of Xinjiang.
Last month, Beijing drafted new religious rules aimed at foreign residents in the country to tighten its control over organised spiritual activities.
The proposal calls for restrictions on non-Chinese nationals to stamp out 'religious extremism', according to a draft posted by the government online.
It also vows to prohibit actions that would 'undermine China's national and ethnic unity' or lead to terrorist activities.