Franklin Wolf | Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom | China Aid Advisory Board website
The trial of Pastor Wan Changchun, Elder Xue Shaoqiang, co-worker Cao Binting, and Wan Chunqin of the Cornerstone Reformed Church in Bengbu, charged with fraud, was initially set to commence at 9:00 a.m. on May 16, 2024. Family members of the defendants had anticipated seeing their loved ones in court and arrived early at the courthouse. However, on the day of the trial, lawyers were prohibited from bringing computers into the courtroom, and family members and other church Christians were denied entry unless they possessed observer certificates.
The court cited an internal Supreme Court regulation for this restriction, labeling the case as highly sensitive and barring electronic devices while allowing electronic materials to be copied to court computers. Lawyers contended that using different computers could compromise case materials due to varying software configurations and existing state secrets on their devices. One lawyer criticized this regulation as self-empowerment and unreasonable in modern society.
Upon arrival at the courthouse entrance on trial day, lawyers found that family members of the defendants were restricted from observing the trial because they had been witnesses. The court allowed only those with observer certificates inside; most church members were excluded. Several questioned family members were also barred from attending. Lawyers argued that even previously questioned witnesses have observation rights in trials, especially close relatives who are exempt from testifying.
During a pre-trial meeting on May 13, 2024, family members again could not see their loved ones. Ultimately, neither lawyers nor family members gained courtroom access, halting the trial's progress. Attempts to petition or meet with the court president failed. They contacted a complaint hotline but were advised to escalate their complaints to higher courts. They subsequently reported their concerns to various local judicial bodies.
Pastor Wan Changchun was arrested by Bengbu police on April 11, 2023, while serving in Lijiang, Yunnan Province under suspicion of "illegal business operations." Elder Xue Shaoqiang and others faced similar detentions shortly after. The church’s finances were scrutinized extensively during this period.
On May 18, 2023, charges against Pastor Wan Changchun shifted to "fraud," extending similar accusations to four other co-workers including Elder Xue Shaoqiang and Pastor Wan's wife You Xiulin by Yuhui District People’s Procuratorate.
The church has repeatedly asserted that no fraud occurred within its community; offerings are voluntary and expenditures transparent. During detention periods earlier this year around Spring Festival time frame when Elder Xue Shaoqiang's mother passed away without fulfilling her dying wish of seeing her son one last time.
