Contact: Bob Fu, China Aid Association, Inc., 267-205-5210, info@ChinaAid.org; www.chinaaid.org, www.monitorchina.org

MIDLAND, Texas, Sept. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- China Aid learned that a well-known house church leader was formally arrested on August 31 for receiving 3 tons of bibles. Mr. Zhou Heng is also the manager of a registered bookstore which is called Yayi Christian Book Room which is used to sell some Christianity related books published legally and officially inside China. His bookstore was already forced to close after his arrest by the local authority.

Photo: Xinjiang Christian businessman Zhou Heng, arrested for receiving 3 tons of Bibles, with his daughter

Mr. Zhou Heng's formal arrest's notice was approved by Shayibake District People's Procuratorate of Urumqi city on August 31 and sent to his wife Chen Jihong by Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau. According to a copy of the notice paper (a scanned copy and its translation are attached with this release) that CAA has obtained, Zhou Heng was accused of "illegal business operation." Zhou Heng is currently detained at Xishan Detention Center.

He was jailed on August 3. He was detained when he went to pick up three tons of Bibles at a bus station. The Bibles were reportedly donated by South Korean churches and were intended for local believers free of charge. However, the Chinese government only allows officially sanctioned (state) churches to print and distribute a limited number of Bibles each year. If convicted of the charges, he faces a 15-year prison sentence.

CAA China investigators spoke with a recently released inmate who shared a cell with Brother Zhou. The inmate reported Brother Zhou was beaten in prison severely by other inmates and prison guards.

CAA is helping the legal defense work for brother Zhou's case. A well-known Christian human rights defense attorney Mr. Zhang Xingshui has agreed to represent and defend Zhou Heng in the court.

Moreover, according to CAA investigators report, the seven house church leaders who were detained since August 21 from a house church meeting in Inner Mongolia were released recently after CAA's reports. Four pastors from Liaoning province including pastor QIN Tao(29 year-old), WANG Cong(34 year-old), WANG Shengjun(34 year-old), WANG Youjun(47 year-old) along with three Christian women leaders from Inner Mongolia were taken away from their worship location at Leizhiwa village, Kouhe town, Kulun Qi, Inner Mongolia.

The following is the translated text of Zhou Heng's formal arrest:

Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau

NOTIFICATION OF ARREST by Wu Gong (Sha) Dai Tong Zi (2007) 783 

Chen Jihong,

With approval from Shayibake District People's Procuratorate, Zhou Heng was arrested by this bureau at 17:00 on August 31, 2007 on suspicion of illegal business operation. Zhou Heng is currently detained at Xishan Detention Center.

August 31, 2007

Seal: Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau

If the family or the work unit of the arrested person is not notified within 24 hours after the arrest, please explain the reasons for this.

Person handling the case:  Ma Shujun, Zhang Yong

August 31, 2007.

This copy is to be handed to the family or the work unit of the arrested person."

"This is another religious persecution case in the name of clamp-down illegal business operation. Beijing pastor Cai Zhuohua was sentenced to 3 years in 2004 for distributing bibles," said Rev. Bob Fu, President of CAA. "We call upon the Chinese government to stop this tactic and allow all of the ordinary Chinese citizens to have access to bibles."

Issued by CAA on September 5, 2007