On June 8, 2024, Yang Aiqing of Guiyang Renai Reformed Church disclosed on her WeChat Moments that her husband, Elder Zhang Chunlei, has been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis while in detention. She noted that prior to his imprisonment, he had no history of liver-related illnesses.
Elder Zhang Chunlei was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis at the end of 2023. He was hospitalized for over a month due to cholecystitis and received intravenous drips for more than 20 days. Despite the diagnosis being made then, neither his lawyer nor family members were informed. In early May this year, his lawyer visited him at the Guiyang City Detention Center and observed that Elder Zhang appeared slightly thin with white hair but was unaware of the liver cirrhosis diagnosis.
Currently suffering from high blood pressure, Elder Zhang's condition is concerning as liver cirrhosis can lead to severe complications and even threaten life expectancy. His family and lawyer have urgently notified the judge and are awaiting a response.
Instances of prisoners developing severe liver diseases while incarcerated in China have been reported before. Notably, Liu Xiaobo faced similar health issues during his imprisonment. It is speculated that these conditions may be linked to poor prison diets, including moldy and spoiled rice.
Guiyang Renai Reformed Church, led by Elder Zhang Chunlei, maintains its stance as a house church and refuses to join the state-sanctioned Three-Self Church. Since the implementation of new "Regulations on Religious Affairs" in early 2018, the church has resisted what it considers unconstitutional requirements threatening Christian faith.
In 2018, Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church initiated a joint statement titled "Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith," signed by 458 pastors including Elder Zhang Chunlei. Following this declaration, many signatories were summoned by national security agents, leading to raids and suppression of house churches.
On May 12, 2019, Guiyang Renai Church was banned by local authorities. On March 16, 2021, Renai Reformed Church was raided again; many Christians were arrested and their homes searched. That evening, Elder Zhang went to inquire about the situation at a police station and was detained immediately. He faced administrative detention followed by criminal detention on suspicion of fraud.
On January 27, 2022, he was prosecuted for "inciting subversion of state power" and "fraud." The case was heard in closed trials at Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court on November 29, 2022. No witnesses or victims appeared in court during these proceedings.
Repeated attempts by his lawyer to review case files were initially rebuffed until June 4, 2024 when access was finally granted without interruption but without audio recordings from previous trials.
Yang Aiqing revealed that despite his circumstances, Elder Zhang encourages believers in Guiyang not to be ashamed but rather rejoice in his imprisonment as an honor for serving their faith. She calls upon Christians to pray for his health and legal situation so he can receive medical treatment promptly and ensure fair handling of his case.
