the prisoner list

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THE PRISONER LIST* CHINA AIQING ZHU Ms. Aiqing Zhu was arrested for "illegal evangelistic activities" on June 9, 1996, at age 40. She was sentenced to a 20-year prison term. WANG ZHAOMIN Mr. Wang Zhaomin has been imprisoned since June 1999. XU FUMING Mr. Xu Fuming, a member of the South China Church, was sentenced to life in prison in 2002. GONG BANGKUN Mr. Gong Bangkun, a member of the South China Church, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2002. ALIMUJIANG YIMITI Mr. Alimujiang "Alim" Yimiti, a Muslim convert to Christianity, was arrested in January 2008 and accused of "subversion of the national government and endangering national security," a crime punishable by death. On October 27, 2009, Alim was handed a 15-year prison sentence. CUI HAILING Mr. Cui Jiaxing, 44, served Linfen-Fushan Church by managing church finances and helping with the distribution of funds to needy members. On November 25, 2009, he was charged with unlawfully occupying land and tax evasion, and was fined and sentenced to 5½ years in prison. PENG MING Mr. Peng Ming is an official UNHCR refugee from China who was resident in the US from 2001. In May 2004, while traveling to visit his elderly parents in Thailand, Peng Ming, was lured to Myanmar, abducted and taken to China where he was sentenced to life in prison. LACHENG REN AND WENXI LI Mr. Lacheng Ren, a Christian sponsoring a new Christian bookstore in Taiyuan, and Wenxi Li, a Christian bookstore employee, were arrested and sentenced to prison terms for their role in the establishing the Enyu Bookstore. YANG RONGLI Pastor Yang Rongli and four other Linfen-Fushan church leaders were sentenced to criminal detention on Nov. 25, 2009. The five church leaders were arrested because they organized a prayer rally. During the police raid, more than 30 other believers were seriously wounded. EGYPT MOHAMMED HEGAZY Mr. Hegazy is an Egyptian convert from Islam who was sentenced to five years in prison on June 18, 2014 after he filmed clashes between Muslims and Christians in central Egypt. ERITREA HAILE NAIZGI Rev. Haile Naizgi was the chairman of the board of the Full-Gospel Church of Eritrea and was imprisonment on May 23, 2004. KIDANE WELDOU Pastor Kidane Weldou was imprisoned on March 18, 2005. He was the senior pastor at Asmara Full-Gospel Church. DR. KIFLU GEBREMESKEL Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel was the pastor of South-West Full-Gospel Church in Asmara until his imprisonment on May 23, 2004. Kiflu was also the chairman of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance, a union of all the churches belonging to the Baptist, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and other Charismatic churches.

MUSSIE EZAZ Evangelist Mussie Ezaz had a growing ministry with young people in the Kale Hiwot Church. Mussie was arrested and imprisoned in 2007. REV DR TEKLEAB MENGHISTEAB Rev Dr Tekleab, a highly respected physician and a leader of the Medhane Alem Church, was arrested and imprisoned in November 2005. IRAN ALIREZA SEYYEDIAN Mr. Alireza Seyyedian, a former Muslim who has been a Christian since 2006. In December 2011 he was sentenced to six years in prison and has been imprisoned in Evin prison. BEHNAM IRANI Mr. Behnam Irani, a pastor from Kraj, Iran, was sentenced to five years in prison January 2011. FARSHID FATHI Mr. Farshid Fathi, a Christian convert from Islam, was arrested on Dec. 26, 2010 for helping spread Christianity in the country. Farshid spent nearly a year in solitary confinement. SAEED ABEDINI Mr. Saeed Abedini, an Iranian Christian pastor, was arrested in September 2012 for his involvement in Iran's house church movement. He has been sentenced to eight years in prison. PAKISTAN ASIA BIBI Ms. Asia Bibi, was arrested on allegations of blasphemy on June 19, 2009 for claiming "Our Christ is the true prophet of God and yours [Mohammed] is not true," On November 8, 2010, Asia was sentenced to death. Her attorney has filed an appeal. IMRAN GHAFUR Mr. Imran Ghafur was arrested on July 1, 2009 after Muslims accused him of burning pages of the Qur'an. Imran and his father were severely beaten before police arrested Imran. His current situation is uncertain. TURKMENISTAN UMID GOJAYEV In early 2012, Mr. Umid Gojayev was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “hooliganism.” One of the investigators told Umid's relative that because he is a believer, the court will not forgive him. After nearly two years in prison, there have been four general amnesties in which prisoners charged under the same law as Umid have been released, but Umid remains in prison. Umid was told he is not being released because he reads the Bible." UZBEKISTAN TOHAR HAYDAROV On March 9, 2010 Tohar Haydarov was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Members of his Baptist church insist that that Haydarov's sentence was punishment for his religious activity. VIETNAM NGUYEN VAN LY On Feb. 19, 2007, Father Nguyen Van Ly was arrested for distributing material "harmful to the state." In March, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. On March 15, 2010, Father Nguyen was released on medical parole after he suffered three debilitating strokes, but after 16 months convalescing, the government demanded he return to complete his sentence. * There are many, many other Christian prisoners whose names and circumstances are unknown to us. The foregoing are a few whose names and circumstances we know something of. Do not forget to remember and pray for the prisoners who we cannot identify by name – our Lord knows their names and circumstances, and will hear our prayers on their behalf.