Since 2022, raids, arrests, long jail sentences and even one suspicious death in jail have marked an increasingly severe campaign of repression in the province.
by Jiang Tao
Since the CCP initiated a three-year “general battle” in 2019 targeting The Church of Almighty God (CAG), its members have endured escalating persecution, marked by a substantial increase in arrests and convictions. The situation in Guangdong Province has been particularly severe, according to church members and court records “Bitter Winter” has had access to through an insider source.
Between September 1 and 3, 2022, Guangdong police carried out a coordinated operation, arresting 237 CAG members. Over two years later, 194 of those individuals remain in detention, with at least 163 already sentenced— the longest sentence being 11 years.
On February 28, 2024, the People’s Court of Haizhu District in Guangzhou issued harsh sentences to 12 CAG members who had been arrested during the 2022 operation. Three of them were sentenced to 11 years, one to 10 years, and another to 9 years and 6 months. All of these individuals were church leaders. Additionally, one member responsible for keeping church books was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months, while two co-workers received sentences of 7 years and 6 months and 7 years and 3 months, respectively. The shortest sentence among the 12 people was 3 years and 5 months.
The following day, on February 29, the same court imposed heavy sentences on nine more CAG members, who had been arrested during the same operation. The court ruled that their gatherings and possession of a substantial quantity of religious materials were in violation of the state’s ban on the CAG, constituting a severe offense against national laws and administrative regulations. Seven of them were sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
In addition to the heavy sentencing, many Guangdong CAG members continue to endure prolonged detention, One died while detained.
On June 1, 2022, Maoming police in Guangdong Province launched another coordinated operation, arresting nearly 70 CAG members. As of October 2024, 53 of these individuals remain in prolonged detention, with one member having died in custody in suspicious circumstances. An 82-year-old devotee suffering from colon cancer was denied bail, and a 75-year-old individual, battling multiple health conditions—chronic bronchitis, emphysema with pulmonary bullae, atrial premature beats, anemia, a history of cerebral infarction, and old pulmonary tuberculosis—was also denied bail despite facing life-threatening health risks.
In 2023, Guangdong reportedly had the highest proportion of heavy sentences among all provinces, with 12% of those sentenced receiving terms of 7 years or more, and at least 116 individuals sentenced to 5 years or longer. The situation in 2024 is even more concerning, with at least 49 individuals already sentenced to 7 years or more as of this October.
Source: BITTER WINTER
