On May 29, 2026, at around 4:00 a.m., police in Jinan City, Shandong Province, launched a coordinated operation to arrest Christians from The Church of Almighty God (CAG). The police had previously monitored and tracked some CAG members for a year using surveillance cameras, tracking devices, and other methods. On the day of the operation, the police scaled walls and broke into some Christians’ homes in the early morning hours, threatening and intimidating residents there, searching their homes, and making arrests. Several elderly CAG Christians were so frightened that they became ill. In one case, the husband of an 83-year-old church member collapsed and died after being frightened when the police broke into their home and searched it. According to incomplete statistics, at least 25 CAG Christians were arrested in the operation, including 14 individuals over the age of 60 and three over the age of 80.
An officer involved in the arrests disclosed, “Xi Jinping gave the order at a meeting. We were ordered to carry out coordinated arrests this morning.”
A CAG Christian also said that a meeting was held locally the day before the arrests and that the authorities carried out a coordinated operation the following day. “People from higher up came down to carry it out,” the Christian said.
During the operation, tracking devices were installed on the electric bicycles of three CAG members. They were monitored and followed for an extended period before eventually being arrested by police.
Man in His 80s Collapses and Dies From Shock; Police Continue Searching His Home
On May 29, at approximately 4:00 a.m., the front door of Wang Ying’s home was suddenly knocked on. Wang, an elderly CAG Christian in her 80s, looked through the peephole and saw people outside. As soon as she opened the door, about 10 police officers broke into the house. A female officer grabbed Wang by the shoulder and restrained her. Wang’s husband had just gotten out of bed when an officer shouted, “Don’t move!” The officers then displayed their identification and said they were from the Public Security Bureau. They also claimed that the operation was “ordered by Xi Jinping at a meeting” and that believers in Almighty God were to be arrested in a coordinated operation that day. The officers then began searching the home.
When the police ordered Wang and her husband to go with them, her husband told them, “I have heart disease. I can’t go anywhere.” About 10 minutes later, he suddenly collapsed on the floor. An officer said, “On your feet. Stop pretending!” Wang’s husband did not respond or move. Wang quickly told the officer, “You say he is pretending, but the floor is so cold. If you don’t even help him, how can he get up?” It was not until less than five minutes later that the officers pulled Wang’s husband to his feet, but by then his condition had become critical. Seeing her husband collapse, Wang was also so frightened that she became ill. She closed her eyes, could no longer stand on her legs, and was unable to walk.
By the time neighbors arrived, Wang’s husband was barely alive. The police had no choice but to call a doctor. After attempting to revive him several times, the doctor determined that he could not be saved. However, even while the elderly man was lying on the ground and receiving emergency treatment, the police continued searching his home. Later, the police called two emergency ambulances. One transported Wang’s husband, while the other took Wang to the hospital. By the time Wang got into the ambulance, she was unconscious. Her nephew carried her onto the vehicle. She regained consciousness only after receiving an IV at the hospital. Wang remained hospitalized for three days before returning home. It was not until the fourth day that her husband’s remains were brought back to the house. Wang said her husband’s death caused her profound grief. For a month, she had little desire to eat and would burst into tears whenever the incident was mentioned. She said, “We did not commit any crime, yet the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecuted us like this. All this suffering was caused by the CCP!”
Christian in His 70s Has Home Raided at Dawn and Falls Ill From Shock
At around 4:00 a.m. that same day, Liu Yong, a CAG member in his 70s, was still asleep when officers from the local police station suddenly scaled the wall and broke into his home. The officers were carrying handcuffs and sealing tape. After entering, they grabbed Liu by the collar and demanded that he hand over his books on faith. Liu remained silent. The officers threatened him, saying, “Hand over those things! Our patience is limited. If you tell us where they are, we’ll treat you leniently. If we find them ourselves, it’s a different matter! You’re the only one in the entire village who believes in Almighty God. If you don’t talk, we’ll drag you out into the street.” The officers repeatedly questioned Liu, but he refused to answer. They then pulled him out of bed and onto the floor. Liu immediately began experiencing symptoms including dizziness and loss of consciousness and even started foaming at the mouth. When the officers realized something was wrong, they finally called Liu’s son and asked him to give Liu medication to lower his blood pressure.
The police nevertheless continued searching the home and did not leave until around noon. That afternoon, authorities ordered Liu to report to the local police station for questioning. When they saw that he still refused to provide information about the church, officers tricked him into pressing his fingerprint onto a document before releasing him to return home. Liu said the arrest caused his family tremendous distress. His granddaughter was implicated because of his faith in Almighty God and was even told that she would not be allowed to take the civil service exam. His family was in tears every day, while Liu himself remained terrified and anxious. “Even when I hear a dog barking, I feel uneasy,” he said.
80-Year-Old Christian Monitored for More Than a Year; Police Scale Wall to Search Her Home and Arrest Her
That same morning, 80-year-old Christian Li Yu was still in bed, and the door to her home was locked. Police officers nevertheless placed a ladder against the wall and climbed over it to enter her home. Five or six officers entered the house and ordered Li to get dressed and get out of bed. They then searched the home and also searched her other residence.
The police questioned Li about how she had come to believe in Almighty God. When she refused to answer, the officers threatened her, saying, “You’d better tell the truth! We’ve been watching your family for more than a year. We’ve seen quite a few people coming here.” The police subsequently took Li and her husband to the local police station for questioning. After failing to obtain any information from them, officers eventually released them.
Only later did Li learn that the police had installed covert surveillance equipment near her home. She said, “The police had already installed a hidden surveillance camera in the alley. They put it on the corner of a neighbor’s house, pointed directly at the courtyard where fellow believers often gathered. We just did not know about it.” Some time later, strong winds damaged the hidden camera, leaving it hanging from the wall. Not knowing what it was, Li asked a neighbor to take a look. The neighbor used a pole to knock it down and discovered that it was a surveillance camera with a solar panel installed next to it.
In this operation, not only were many CAG Christians and their family members frightened and harmed, but even the homes of some unbelieving neighbors were subjected to forced searches in the early morning hours. One CAG Christian’s family member said angrily, “Isn’t this just a bunch of robbers disturbing the neighborhood?” Another CAG Christian said, “It wasn’t even 5:00 in the morning when they kicked the door in and damaged it.”
Against elderly believers in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s, the CCP police used tactics including scaling walls before dawn, surprise raids and arrests, and prolonged surveillance, causing significant harm and distress to CAG members and their families.
(All names used in this report are pseudonyms.)
