our brother A: just sentenced to 15 years

Friends, this is news we wish we never had to share with you. Gross injustice. But it is also exactly what Jesus said would happen, and what he promised would end in blessing for his own: Matthew 5:10-12.

A. received 15 years imprisonment for allegedly "providing state secrets to overseas organizations." Honestly though, a clearer understanding of the situation is gained by knowing that this country very often accuses minorities of "espionage" or of serving as a liaison to foreign governments when the real thing that happened was more related to religious freedom issues... i.e. sharing Christ with others.

A. was held for over two years without a verdict. He was first formally detained and charged on "suspicions of harming national security." The charges were then changed to "suspicion of instigating separatism and providing national secrets or intelligence to overseas organizations or individuals". He was tried secretly on these new charges. The case was then sent back for retrial. He was tried secretly again on July 28 with the first charge dropped.

Ethnic minority and Christian convert "A." helped pastor a house church in Xinjiang with his wife G. and two sons.

"The 15-year sentence is far more severe than I originally expected. It is the maximum penalty for this charge of "divulging state secrets," which requires Alimujiang's actions to be defined as have "caused irreparable national grave damage. This is the harshest sentence against house church believers in nearly a decade, " said ChinaAid President Bob Fu.

Some friends of Prayer Fuel's who are close friends of A. wrote, "We know that Alim is innocent of all these charges and this is a travesty of justice. Please be praying for our dear brother and his family."

You can learn more about this dear brother's case at www.chinaaid.org .