By Zheng Yi
Since March 2026, coordinated arrest operations targeting members of The Church of Almighty God (CAG) have been carried out in Jingmen, Hubei Province, and Mengjin District of Luoyang, Henan Province. The arrest operations in both locations indicate that the police had subjected CAG Christians to long-term tracking and secret monitoring before making arrests, with some even having GPS tracking devices installed on their electric bicycles. After the arrests, authorities continued applying pressure through forced brainwashing to compel believers to sign the “Three Statements” renouncing their faith, and coerce them into identifying or betraying their fellow church members. It is worth noting that elderly and seriously ill individuals were also among the primary targets of these operations.
Jingmen, Hubei: At Least 20 Church Members Arrested in a Single Day and Subjected to Forced Brainwashing for Transformation
On April 19, 2026, police in Jingmen, Hubei Province, launched a coordinated arrest operation against CAG members. According to a reliable source, most of those arrested had already been secretly followed and monitored by the police for an extended period before the operation. Some even discovered that GPS tracking devices had been installed on their electric bicycles.
That day, some Christians were arrested while cleaning their homes, some while walking to meeting places, and some were suddenly surrounded and taken away by plainclothes officers just after going downstairs to take out the trash. Several CAG members described the arrests as resembling “human traffickers snatching people,” “bandits grabbing bags,” or “the Japanese army raiding a village.” At least 20 Christians were arrested that day, ranging in age from 19 to 74.
One CAG member who was later released recalled that at around 9:00 a.m., she was at home when loud knocking suddenly came at her door. As soon as she opened it, more than ten police officers rushed inside and began searching the house. They confiscated electronic devices including TF memory cards, computers, hard drives, and cellphones, as well as cash, a gold necklace, bank cards, and her ID card. She was then taken to the municipal public security bureau for the collection of biometric information before being transferred that evening to the so-called “Care Home,” a local brainwashing facility.
At the facility, four police officers guarded the detained Christians in shifts each day. Three brainwashing instructors lectured from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., repeatedly showing patriotic education films and presenting material that smeared The Church of Almighty God, while pressuring believers to sign the “Three Statements” renouncing their faith. Brainwashing instructors threatened those who refused to sign, saying: “If you won’t sign the ‘Three Statements,’ then write that you’re a traitor to the country!”
CAG Christians who refused to sign the “Three Statements” were placed in small rooms and subjected to physical punishment. For example, they were forced to stand continuously except during meals, with the longest period lasting 20 hours—from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. the following day. They were also forbidden from bathing or changing clothes.
As of June 1, 17 CAG members had been released but remained under strict police surveillance and were required to report whenever summoned. Three others who refused to sign the “Three Statements” had been transferred to detention centers, where they faced further brainwashing, even criminal prosecution.
Mengjin, Henan: Seventeen Arrested in Two Days, Including Individuals in Their 60s and 70s
Around the same time, authorities in Mengjin District, Luoyang, Henan Province, also carried out a large-scale coordinated operation targeting CAG members.
According to a reliable source, the operation was directed by the Central Committee of the Party and supervised by Luoyang’s Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Before the arrests, local police had conducted extensive investigations and covert surveillance of CAG Christians throughout townships in the district, making arrests once they had been identified. Between March 25 and 26, 2026, a total of 17 CAG members were arrested, including ten individuals over the age of 60.
During interrogations, the police presented detainees with a list of church members and photos of 45 individuals, demanding that they identify them. The officers threatened uncooperative detainees by saying: “Your church community has 60 or 70 members. You don’t know them? Not a single person on this list will get away.”
Zhang Jie (male, 66) suffered from severe hypertension, heart disease, and cerebrovascular illness, requiring daily medication. On March 6, four police officers broke into his home and forcibly took him away. During the transfer he developed nausea and vomiting, and by the time he reached the police station, he had become so weak that he could barely speak. Several hours later, police officers dragged him to the district public security bureau for further interrogation, demanding information about his religious beliefs and requiring him to identify five or six fellow believers before they would release him. The police refused to provide him with food and medication for three consecutive days, causing his condition to worsen. He was eventually released only after officers became concerned about being held responsible if his health further deteriorated.
Liu Qiurong (female, 70) had long suffered from poor health and depended on family members for daily care. On the morning of March 26, a village official took three male officers and one female officer to her home. Although no materials were found as evidence of her faith during the search, she was taken to the public security bureau for interrogation and pressured to sign the “Three Statements” renouncing her faith.
Zhang Xianghua (female, 77) was unable to care for herself, suffered from severe leg pain, had difficulty walking, and was at high risk of falling. At noon on March 25, four plainclothes officers broke into her home carrying photos of her and questioned her about her faith. When she refused to admit, officers searched the entire house—from storage boxes to the ceiling—and inspected even phone chargers and adult diapers. They eventually found a sheet of paper containing Almighty God’s words and treated it as “evidence.” Despite repeated explanations from her family about her physical condition, the police took her to the local police station.
There, officers reportedly showed her photos of dozens of her fellow believers, demanding that she identify them, betray church leaders, and sign the “Three Statements.” She was not released until around 11:00 p.m. that evening.
Arrests Becoming Routine
The arrest operations in Jingmen and Mengjin followed a highly similar pattern: long-term surveillance and covert investigation before arrests, coordinated roundups during the operation itself, and continued pressure afterward through forced ideological indoctrination, demands to sign the “Three Statements,” coercive interrogations aimed at identifying other fellow believers, and ongoing surveillance. Those who refused to be “transformed” faced continued detention and prosecution.
It is worth noting that many of those targeted in both locations were elderly or seriously ill church members, with the oldest being in their seventies. Even elderly individuals suffering from serious illnesses and unable to care for themselves were forcibly taken away for interrogation. This demonstrates that the CCP’s crackdown on The Church of Almighty God has expanded beyond arrests to include ideological control and long-term monitoring. The arrest campaign remains ongoing.
Note: All personal names in this report are pseudonyms.
