USCIRF Condemns Harsh Sentence for Christian Bookseller in China
Another example of the outrageous response of the Chinese regime to those who dare to try to share the Christian faith in a quiet way. Chinese Christian bookseller Chen Yu was detained in September 2019, for selling Christian books imported from overseas. In September 2020, he was sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment for “illegal business operations” and fined him 200,000 yuan (approximately US $30,000).
“The seven-year sentence for Christian bookseller Chen Yu is extremely disproportionate and outrageous. It further shows that the Chinese Communist government is becoming increasingly hostile toward Christianity,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “I call on the local government in Linhai City to immediately grant him the right to post bail and appeal his sentence. Chen deserves to be home with his family this Christmas, not behind bars.”
