All Prisoners
Zhang Wen Shi
Held 3,067 days in North Korea
Zhang Wen Shi, also known by his Korean name and title as Deacon Jang, is an ethnically Korean Chinese citizen who lived in Changbai, China, a town on the border between China and North Korea. He worked alongside Korean-Chinese pastor Pastor Han Chung-Ryeol, ministering to the North Koreans who crossed the border into Changbai. more info
Wang Yi
Held 1,568 days in China
Pastor Wang Yi is the influential leader of Early Rain Covenant Church in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province - one of the best-known house churches in China. He and his wife, Jiang Rong, were detained in December 2018 and charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and "illegal business operations." If convicted, Pastor Wang could face up to 15 years in prison. more info
Meron Gebreselasie
Held 6,870 days in Eritrea
Pastor Meron Gebreselasie was arrested on June 3, 2004. Meron, also known as Million, was the pastor of Massawa Rhema Evangelical Church in Massawa, a Red Sea port city. He was also an anesthetist at Massawa Hospital. more info
John Cao
Held 2,212 days in China
On March 5, 2017, police arrested Cao Sanqiang (John Cao), a Chinese pastor known for his work among Myanmar's poor. Authorities charged Pastor Cao with "organizing illegal crossings of national borders" and, one year later, sentenced him to seven years in prison. more info
Zhang Shaojie
Held 3,417 days in China
Pastor Zhang Shaojie of Nanle County Christian Church in Henan Province, is currently serving a 12-year prison term for “gathering a crowd to disrupt the public order” and a fabricated fraud charge. more info
Mussie Ezaz
Held 5,679 days in Eritrea
Mussie Ezaz was arrested in September 2007 when Eritrean authorities came after him for his work as a youth minister with the Kale Hiwot (Word of Life) Church. He worked as an evangelist for 14 years and served with Youth for Christ for a number of years before developing a ministry to youth at the Kale Hiwot Church, and other believers described him as a kind, generous and gifted leader. more info
Alimujiang Yimiti
Held 5,513 days in China
In September 2007 Chinese government officials closed Alimujiang Yimiti’s business and accused him of using it as a cover up for “preaching Christianity among people of Uyghur ethnicity.” He was later arrested in January 2008 and accused of “subversion of the national government and endangering national security,” a crime punishable by death. more info
Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel
Held 6,881 days in Eritrea
Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, a leading figure of Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, founder and senior pastor of Southwest Full Gospel Church and member of the executive committee to the Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, was arrested on May 23, 2004. He was taken from his home in Asmara Gejeret, at approximately 5 a.m. Dr. Gebremeskel was a mathematics lecturer, department and faculty head at the University of Asmara until 1999, when he became a full-time pastor at the Southwest Full Gospel Church. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Chicago University. His wife and four children have not been able to visit him. more info
Kidane Weldou
Held 6,582 days in Eritrea
Pastor Kidane Weldou disappeared and is presumably detained by Eritrean security forces. His vehicle was found abandoned in downtown Asmara. He is a senior pastor of the Full Gospel Church and has been a leader in the church for many years. Weldou is married and has four daughters. For many days his family has been unable to learn his whereabouts. Other Full Gospel pastors still being held include Haile Nayzgi. Pastor Weldou is also a member of the executive committee of Gideons International in Eritrea. more info
Haile Nayzgi
Held 6,881 days in Eritrea
During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, Haile Nayzgi was arrested and taken to Police Station #1 in Asmara. He was the leader of Eritrea’s Full Gospel Church, which is comprised of 120 to 150 house meeting groups. The church groups were closed by government decree at a meeting with a government official on May 15, 2002. At that time the church groups were given an application form for government registration. The Full Gospel Church filled out the form and returned it to the appropriate offices, but no reply was ever received. more info