On 18 April, five Christians from Xinjiang Province, China, were jailed for 3-5 years for participating in the planning of a Bible study. The sentencing occurred against the backdrop of the detention of dozens of Uyghur Muslims for ‘illegal religious activities.’

A court in Changji, Xinjiang Province, sentenced the Christians on 18 April, according to reports from China Aid. Yang Zhaocun and Wang Lulu were sentenced to five years in prison; Cheng Yajie was sentenced to four years; while Liu Yan and Zheng Lan were sentenced to three years each. In October 2016, they faced trial on charges of illegal assembly and “gathering a crowd to disturb public order,” after they held a private Christian event at Zheng Lan’s home.

Elsewhere in Xinjiang Province, 39 Uyghur Muslims were recently arrested after attending lectures by unsanctioned imams, reported Radio Free Asia.  While 35 are now in jail, the remaining four — all of whom are “unofficial imams” and not recognised or sanctioned by the state, have been sent for “political re-education.” Those held in prison have been charged either with listening to “illegal religious sermons” or with inviting others to attend the sermons.

There has been a wider crackdown against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province, where restrictions have been placed on the social and cultural practices of Uighur Muslims in the name of national security. Names perceived to be linked to extremism, such as “Saddam” and ”Medina”, have been banned, and on 1 April 2017, Xinjiang authorities imposed new rules prohibiting the wearing of ‘abnormal’ beards or veils in public places.

The ongoing restrictions on the religious freedom of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang were highlighted in the annual report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which states that conditions for freedom of religion or belief and related human rights have continued to decline in China, as the authorities continue to target “anyone considered a threat to the state, including religious believers, human rights lawyers, and other members of civil society”. The Commission concluded that China should be designated a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the US’ International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

Benedict Rogers, East Asia Team Leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide said, “The recent detention of Muslims and Christians in Xinjiang for ‘illegal religious activities’ and ‘disturbing public order’ is an unacceptable breach of the right to freedom of religion or belief. Peaceful religious assembly is not a crime. We agree with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that religious freedom has declined in China over the past year. At the same time, space for civil society has drastically reduced as the authorities seek to bring all kinds of organisation under state control or force them to disband altogether. We call on the Chinese government to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief for all people in China, including ethnic minorities and indigenous people, and to drop charges against those penalised for peacefully gathering for religious meetings.”