Contact: Daniel Burton, China Aid Association, Inc., 432-689-6985, 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org; www.chinaaid.org, www.monitorchina.org

SHANDONG, China, Sept. 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- A closed-door trial will be held for Pastor Zhang Zhongxin at 9 a.m. on September 26 at the labor camp in Shandong province where he is serving a two-year sentence of reeducation-through-labor. The ruling will determine whether this sentence, imposed upon Zhang on July 6 of this year, was an appropriate punishment. Pastor Zhang's attorneys and relatives have been banned from meeting with him or reviewing his files, because authorities claim Pastor Zhang is suspected of endangering state security. If the court finds Zhang innocent of the crimes against him, the reeducation sentence will be repealed. However, if the court rules in favor of the sentencing, Zhang will remain in labor camp until 2010.

Christian defense attorneys Li Fangping and Zhang Jianfeng continue to try to meet with Pastor Zhang. ChinaAid will continue to monitor the trial.

Issued by China Aid, September 24, 2008