Zhang Kai (lawyer)

Zhang was detained on 25 August 2015 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, a city with a strong Christian influence. He had been representing churches whose crosses were demolished by government officials, and was also accused of ‘masterminding illegal religious gatherings’.[2] He was charged with “endangering state secrets” and “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” and placed in criminal detention.[3]

Along with a group of religious leaders, Zhang had been scheduled to meet US envoy for religious freedom, David Saperstein, the following day.[4]

Officials in the province have been waging a campaign to remove crosses from more than 1,200 churches and other buildings. Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping was once the Party Committee Secretary of the province.[1] Since coming to power in 2012 Xi’s strict political regime has clamped down on human rights lawyers, liberal academics, journalists, bloggers and feminist campaigners.[5]

Rights groups say the campaign has affected hundreds of parishes.[2]

Zhang, like many of China's human rights lawyers, is a Christian, and earlier in 2015 had posted an online essay denouncing the Communist party’s treatment of Chinese churchgoers.[6]

Zhang made a televised confession, which was rejected by his supporters. Zhang Lei, a fellow human rights lawyer, said “it is utterly appalling for a person to be made to confess on the television”.[5]

Zhang was released on 23 March 2016. He posted a message on WeChat confirming his release, and that he was back in his hometown in Inner Mongolia.[7]

Other people detained by the authorities include lawyers Wang Yu, Zhou Shifeng, Li Shuyun and Xie Yanyi; as well as Li Heping and his two assistants, Zhao Wei and Gao Yue; another legal assistant, Liu Sixin; and activists Hu Shigen and Gou Hongguo.[8]

In June 2016, there were reports in the South China Morning Post that Zhao Wei had been released after apparently 'confessing' – however these reports have not been confirmed.[9] Her husband also believes that she may have been forced to recant, and disputed the authenticity of statements on her Sina Weibo social media account.[10]