Chinese authorities arrest hundreds of Christians before Christmas

An illustration for the article about the persecution of Christians in China. Photo: Melnikov Dmitry/Shutterstock

On December 13, 2025, China's authorities mobilized more than a thousand police officers, SWAT units, anti-riot forces, and firefighters in the Zhejiang Province’s Yayang Town in Wenzhou City, raiding churches and conducting mass arrests of Christians before Christmas, reports Life Site News.

According to human rights activists, belongings of relevant individuals were illegally confiscated, roads leading to the church were completely blocked by police, and Christians in Yayang Town were unable to enter the Yayang church. Within just the first two days, several hundreds of people were taken away for questioning.  Some of whom remained in custody without official explanations.

Law enforcement agencies paid special attention to active members of Christian communities, accusing them of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". Human rights organizations note that such formulations are regularly used by Chinese authorities to pressure religious groups not controlled by the state.

After the raids, the police increased surveillance of believers, keeping watch at the homes of well-known parishioners and conducting surveys. According to eyewitnesses, this created an atmosphere of fear in Christian communities before Christmas.

International organizations for the protection of religious freedom regard the events as part of a policy of "religious sinicization", aimed at subjecting religious life to state control and displacing independent Christian communities.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that five Christians in Iran were sentenced to combined 50 years for Christmas prayers.

Read also