Doing Hard Time For God!
The Most Reverend Father, Archbishop Gary Beaver, of the Old Catholic Church has launched a global project called “Doing Hard Time for God” which informs the world of the many Christians being sentenced to jail for their faith.
Please take this opportunity to write to these Brothers and Sisters in Christ, your words will make such a difference.
Please keep us informed of who you have written to and any replies by emailing admin@oldcatholic.co.uk
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Prisoners In China |
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AIQING ZHU |
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At 40 years of age, Aiqing Zhu was arrested for ‘illegal
evangelistic activities’ on June 9, 1996. She was sentenced with a
twenty-year prison term. |
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DAOXING SHEN |
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Shen, 61, was arrested
in 2002 along with other South China Church leaders for starting an
unregistered chldren's Sunday School. He may not have a Bible
according to the court ruling. He was given a four-year sentence. |
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GONG BANGKUN |
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He was arrested October 2002 and given a 15 year sentence
Prison Address: |
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GONG SHENGLIANG |
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Pastor Gong, founder
and pastor of the South China Church was sentenced to be executed last
December, but a re-trial was ordered by the Hubei Province Supreme
Court. Gong was re-tried last October, but charges relating to cult
and illegal religious activity were dropped. The second trial resulted
in a sentence of life in prison. He has been severely beaten and was
taken to the hospital. He is now back in prison but does not
communicate verbally with his family visitors whether out of fear or
injury. |
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GONG XIANQUN |
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A member of the South China Church she was arrested October 2002 and received a three year sentence.
Prison Address: |
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HU YING |
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A leader in the South
China Church he has been given a sentence of life in prison. |
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LI YING |
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Second in command in
the South China Church and publisher of an underground church
magazine. She was given a 15-year sentence. |
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MENGYU TANG |
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A 27 year old female
South China Church Leader was given a six-year sentence. |
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PASTOR DONG DAOLAI |
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Arrested with other South China Church leaders during October 2002. He has been sentenced to 10 years.
Prison Address |
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PASTOR YI CHUANFU |
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He was arrested during October 2002 and sentenced to 10 years. He has been severely beaten.
Prison Address |
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QONG LING YI |
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This young South China
Church leader was arrested when she was 21 years old. She was
eventually given a seven-year sentence for her activities with her
church. |
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SHIGUI TAN |
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A 41 year old South
China Church Leader. He was given a four-year sentence. |
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SUN MINGHUA |
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Arrested October 2002 she received a 13 year sentence.
Her
prison address is:
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XIANG SHUANGYU |
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This 29 years old was
arrested with the other South China Church leaders. She was given a
seven-year sentence. |
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XIAO YANLI |
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She was arrested in
October 2002 and given a 10 year sentence. |
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XITAO ZHAO |
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This 28 year old South
China Church leader was given a seven-year sentence. |
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XU FUMING |
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This South China
Church Leader was sentenced to life in Prison. |
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YUMEI LU |
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At age 27 she received
an eight-year sentence for her role as a South China Church leader.
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ZHANG YI-NAN |
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Brother Zhang was released September 25, 2005. Arrested September 26, 2003 and charged with "subverting the Chinese government and socialist order." He was sentenced to two years of laojiao "re-education through labour." He was beaten by other prisoners on the first day of his sentence, November 3, 2003.
His
prison address is |
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SHAIBOUB ARSAL |
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Shaiboub Arsal was
given a 38 year hard labour prison sentence in June 2000. He has been
falsely charged over a murder that took place during the 1999-2000 New
Year’s weekend violence, which targeted El-Kosheh’s Coptic Christian
population. Write a letter of encouragement to him, care of his local
Coptic bishop. |
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HAILE NAYZGI |
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During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, Haile Nayzgi was arrested and taken to Police Station #1 in Asmara. He was the leader of Eritrea’s Full Gospel Church, which is comprised of 120 to 150 house meeting groups. The church groups were closed by government decree at a meeting with a government official on May 15, 2003. At that time the church groups were given an application form for government registration. The Full Gospel Church filled out the form and returned it to the appropriate offices, but no reply was ever received. Haile is married and has four children. He was previously an accountant with World Evangelical Alliance. He is a former mathematics professor at the University of Asmara. During his incarceration Haile has been refused any personal contact with his family. When family and friends went to take food and clothing to the prison for Haile on August 24, 2004, they were told that he was no longer there. Mr. Nayzgi has been moved to various locations since his arrest.
Haile Nayzgi |
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KIDANE WELDOU |
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Pastor Kidane Weldou of the Full Gospel Church in Asmara was arrested March 18, 2005. He has been a leader in Eritrea for many years. An estimated 900 Christians are in custody in Eritrea.
Kidane Weldou |
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Dr. Rebekka, Mrs. Eti, Mrs. Ratna |
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These three women, Dr. Rebekka , Mrs. Eti and Mrs. Ratna were arrested May 16, 2005, and charged under the Children Protection Act of 2002. Their trial began June 30th and ended September 1, 2005, when Indonesian judges sentenced the women to three years in prison plus a fine for allowing Muslim children to attend a Christian Sunday school program.
LEMBAGA
PERMASYARAKATAN INDRAMAYU |
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Hamid Pourmand |
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A former Iranian army colonel is serving a three-year sentence because he was a Christian and became an officer in the army. It is illegal for a non-Muslim to serve as a m ilitary officer. He was sentenced in a Tehran military court on February 17, 2005. His sentence automatically discharges him from the army, cuts off his regular income, and eliminates his military pension.
Hamid Pourmand |
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THONG CHAN |
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Throng Chan, a
Christian pastor from Udomxai continues to be held in prison. He had
been a Chao Muang (District Governor). After his conversion he was
first arrested in 1999 and convicted of preaching the gospel, being a
traitor to the nation and speaking badly about the nation. His
estimated release will be 2014. |
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ASIF MASIH and AMJAD MASIH |
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Asif Masih along with Amjad Masih (not related) were accused of setting a copy of the Qur'an, wrapped in a towel, on fire while in jail. The police report stated that the towel was burned but the Qur'an was unharmed. The only witnesses are the police who supposedly saw the incident. A High Court in eastern Pakistan has upheld a decision sentencing these two Christian men to life in prison during an August 7, 2003 ruling. These men claim police set them up after they refused to pay a bribe. They were originally arrested February 5, 1999.
You
may send a note of encouragement to these men at: |
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PARVEZ MASIH |
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PAKISTAN – JAILED PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN ATTACKED IN HIS CELL (August 2002)
A Christian high
school principal jailed 15 months ago by Pakistan authorities for
alleged blasphemy against Islam has been attacked while asleep in his
cell. On the night of June 17, Pervaiz Masih, 34, was struck twice in
the head by another inmate before he awakened enough to wrestle with
his attacker and call the jail guards, a Christian human rights
advocacy group in Lahore confirmed on July 6. Masih was well-respected
in the Daska prison, where the jail superintendent has allowed him
some freedom of movement. "Everyone there knows the allegations
against Pervaiz are false," a visitor to the jail said. Local police
finally submitted their prosecution brief on his case at the July 6
hearing. The trial was continued until July 20. Masih has been refused
bail since his arrest in April 2001, when he was accused of slandering
the prophet Mohammed several months earlier to three teenage Muslim
boys he had been tutoring. Pray Pervaiz Masih will stand strong in his
faith, knowing he is not guilty of the charges against him. Acts 26:11
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RHANJA MASIH |
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On May 8, 1998, at the
funeral procession of a Christian, Muslim witnesses claim that Rhanja
threw a rock at an Islamic sign. Now 55 he has been jailed since his
arrest more than five years ago. Rhanja was tried under Section 295-c
of the blasphemy law which normally carries a mandatory death sentence
but on April 26, 2003 he was sentenced to life in prison and fined
50,000 rupees ($830). |
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SHABAZ KAKA |
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He was arrested September 25, 2004 when mosque leaders saw the cross he was wearing and questioned him as he visited the restroom during a break on a bus ride. They fabricated an accusation that he had desecrated the Koran. He has been sentenced to life in prison.
Shabaz Kaka |
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MA VAN BAY |
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He is serving an 11 year sentence and has been in prison
since November 17, 2003. |
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Y DHAM KNUL |
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Arrested September
2002, sentenced to 5 years in prison. |
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Y HAI KNUL |
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He was arrested September 9, 2002 and sentenced to 7 years.
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Y HET NIE KDAM |
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Arrested August 2002. Sentenced to 10 years. |
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Y KIM ENUOL |
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Arrested September 9, 2002 and sentenced to 7 years. |
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Y KRO NIE |
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Arrested October, 2003 and sentenced to 7 years. |
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Y LIA NIE |
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Arrested September 14, 2002. He was sentenced to 7 years.
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Y OAL NIE |
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Arrested September 10, 2002, sentenced to five years. |
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Y TIM BUON YA |
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Arrested September 9,
2002 and sentenced to 10 years.
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