Since May 2026, police in Shandong Province have continued carrying out arrests targeting Christians from The Church of Almighty God (CAG) in the cities of Heze and Linyi. The police conducted covert surveillance using China’s Skynet surveillance network, prolonged physical tracking and positioning before launching large-scale arrests aimed at “zeroing out” CAG members. Reliable sources said that from May through June alone, nearly 100 CAG Christians were arrested across the two cities. Those detained included cancer patients, elderly believers nearing 80 years of age, and a pregnant Christian.
Heze’s Mudan District: At Least 30 CAG Christians Arrested in a Single Day
On May 18, authorities carried out a large-scale arrest operation in Mudan District, Heze City, detaining at least 30 CAG Christians. According to reliable sources, the police secretly monitored local church members for nearly six months before the operation, using the Skynet camera system, physical surveillance, and tracking. Surveillance footage documented the exact locations and times when CAG Christians attended church gatherings, when they left meeting locations, and even how many times they participated in gatherings each week.
One of those arrested was Xin Xiu (female, pseudonym), a CAG Christian suffering from breast cancer. After being secretly monitored and followed by the police for five months, she was forcibly taken from her home on the morning of May 18. According to available information, Xin Xiu underwent breast cancer surgery in July 2018. Her condition worsened in 2022 after the cancer spread to her lymph nodes, and she has relied on medication for several years to manage the disease. Her doctor instructed her to avoid physical labor, emotional stress, and certain foods while getting adequate rest. After her arrest, her family rushed to the local police station with her medical records to explain her condition. A police officer responded, “Anyone who believes in God cannot be released. No matter who you turn to for help, it will be in vainIt doesn’t matter who asks.”
That same day, another CAG Christian, Wen Xi (female, pseudonym), was also arrested. The police ransacked her residence and confiscated two computers, three cell phones, an external hard drive, and more than RMB 13,600 (about USD 1,900) in cash. When she explained that the money was her father’s accumulated wages and was intended to pay for his medical treatment, officers replied viciously, “This is the stolen money,” and accused her of committing a crime by believing in Almighty God.
“Zero-Out” Arrest Operations Continue Across Linyi
In June, Shandong police continued arrest operations in several areas of Linyi City, including Fei County, Pingyi County, Mengyin County, and Lanshan District. According to reliable sources, provincial authorities ordered a “zero-out” campaign throughout June specifically targeting CAG Christians in Fei County, Pingyi County, Mengyin County, and Lanshan District. Before the arrests, several CAG members discovered GPS tracking devices installed on their electric bicycles, with some vehicles carrying two trackers. Others reported noticing suspicious individuals consistently following and monitoring their daily movements. On June 15, coordinated arrests were carried out across multiple areas of Linyi City. According to reliable sources, 36 CAG Christians were arrested that day in Mengyin County, Pingyi County, and Lanshan District alone, and several individuals have remained missing since the operation.
Sources said that Liu Dong (male, about 40 years old, pseudonym) had been under covert police surveillance and tracking since April. At around 9:30 a.m. on June 15, seven or eight police officers broke into his home, arrested him, and forcibly took him away.
At around the same time, two other CAG Christians, Li Yu (female, pseudonym) and Zhou Li (female, pseudonym), were also arrested. At least 20 police officers raided Li Yu’s home, rummaged through her belongings, and then took before searching the rooms and taking her to the local police station together with her items they had confiscated.
According to incomplete statistics, at least 20 CAG Christians were arrested in Pingyi County alone on June 15, including two believers in their late 70snearly 80 years old, who remain in custody. At around 8:00 p.m. that evening, Liu Fei (female, in her 60s, pseudonym), a CAG Christian from Lanshan District, was forcibly arrested by officers from the local police station. After failing to obtain the information they wanted during interrogation, officers pressured her to sign the “Three Statements” renouncing her faith and demanded that she make statements blaspheming God. When Liu refused, the police threatened her in rage, “If you don’t sign, we’ll come to your house every day.” Officers also threatened to handcuff her and lock her in an iron cage. She was released only after her husband signed the documents on her behalf.
On June 23, at around 9:00 p.m., Li Yan (female, 40 years old, pseudonym), who was pregnant, was taken to the Public Security Bureau for interrogation by seven or eight police officers. The police told her they had monitored her and other CAG Christians for six months and presented numerous photographs, demanding that she identify her fellow believers. Officers threatened her, saying, “If you don’t tell the truth, we’ll make sure your baby dies,” and, “If you don’t cooperate, you’ll give birth in prison.” Li Yan was released on bail only after her family sought assistance through personal connections and paid a bail bond of RMB 10,000 (about USD 1,400).
The “zero-out” campaign targeting Christians from The Church of Almighty God in Shandong Province remains ongoing.
Note: All names used in this report are pseudonyms.
