A prominent Protestant pastor in eastern China has been formally arrested for selling sermon recordings, in what Christian advocates describe as part of an ongoing campaign to suppress religious expression.

Pastor Huang Yizi, a well-known church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was notified on July 30 that he had been arrested on charges of “illegal business operations”—a vague accusation often used by authorities to prosecute religious leaders. The charges relate to the distribution of audio recordings of his sermons.

Huang was initially detained on June 26 alongside four other church members from cities across Zhejiang Province: Ningbo, Quzhou, and Taizhou. All five were taken by the Pingyang Public Security Bureau and placed under administrative detention the following day. Two of them were released on bail on July 25, while two others remain in detention with unclear charges. A sixth believer was reportedly detained on July 17 and also remains in custody.

Huang’s representative said the official arrest process was unusually quick, raising concerns about the lack of transparency. Authorities are required to seek arrest approval from the procuratorate within 30 days of detention. Although Huang’s team expected a decision shortly after the July 25 deadline, they later discovered his arrest had already been approved and listed on China’s official legal platform the same day—without any prior notification or documentation.

This development follows a history of persecution against Pastor Huang. In 2014, he was jailed for one year for peacefully opposing the forced demolition of crosses from church buildings in Wenzhou—a campaign that targeted hundreds of churches, both registered and underground. Just a month after his release, he was detained again in 2015, accused of “endangering national security,” and held under residential surveillance at a designated location.

Pastor Huang's church was formerly part of the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPPM), which makes the prosecution even more concerning, according to Christian rights groups.

The Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group condemned the use of the “illegal business operations” charge, stating that freedom of religion includes the right to record and share sermons, and that such activity is protected by China’s own constitution.

Persecution watchdog CSW has also denounced the arrest.

Founder President Mervyn Thomas said, “CSW condemns the formal arrest of Pastor Huang Yizi. We call for his immediate and unconditional release, and insist that the Chinese authorities must uphold the rule of law in all cases involving members of religious communities, allowing the accused access to legal representation of their choosing, and ensuring that any legal proceedings are conducted fairly and in accordance with national and international legal standards.”