A Chinese Christian human rights lawyer named Zhang Kai who was involved in a campaign to oppose the removal of crosses from churches has been released from "black jail," after about seven months of detention.
He posted on the social networking site WeChat (Sina Weibo) on Wednesday that he was freed and was back home in Inner Mongolia. "I have returned to my home in Inner Mongolia safely," his post reads. "Thank you to all my friends for your concern, caring and giving consolation to my family during this time. And thanks to the Wenzhou police, who have taken care of me during this time."
Chinese Christian lawyer Zhang Kai who represented over 100 churches in campaign against removal of crosses was released from 'Black Jail'
Zhang Kai was taken into custody in August 2015, just hours before he was scheduled to meet US ambassador-at-large for religious freedom David N. Saperstein.
He had defended over 100 churches that opposed removal of crosses from their roofs in Zhejiang province, apart from providing consultation to churches on how to defend themselves. He also stood up for clergy who were not allowed to practice freedom of speech.
Crosses were removed in over 1,200 churches since 2014 in Zhejiang, the city known as "Jerusalem of China" on the east coast.
Last month, Zhang appeared on state television, confessing to his crimes of "endangering state secrets," and "disturbing public order." This "confession" was called dubious by Washington and urged China to release the lawyer. Several Christian and human rights organizations said that the confession was coerced.
Christian activist organizations made an online petition to free the lawyer, where information and news related to him was published since his arrest.
China Aid director Bob Fu, said he was "very pleased" to hear the news of Zhang's release.
"Zhang Kai is a bold human rights lawyer and a defender of the rule of law and religious freedom, and is completely innocent. I am very pleased to hear this good news, although further details about the conditions of his release are still unknown," said Fu.
"I appeal to Chinese authorities to release other arbitrarily imprisoned religious leaders, human rights lawyers and defenders, such as those arrested in July of 2015, including, attorneys Li Heping and Wang Yu, church leader Hu Shigen, and pastors Li Guozhi (Yang Hua), Bao Guohua and Gu Yuese," he said.
Last year, over 300 human rights lawyers were detained or interrogated. Many were freed over time. However there are others who are in waiting for their trial on criminal charges.
