China Aid today released its annual persecution report to an anticipatory audience. According to the report, 2007 saw an increase in overall persecution since last year.
In 2007, the known religious cases in which house churches were persecuted by the government covered 18 provinces and one municipality directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Government and there were 60 cases of persecution, up 30.4% from that of 2006. The total number of people persecuted was 788, up 18.5% from that of the year before. The total number of people arrested and detained is 693, up 6.6% from that of the year before. 16 people were sentenced to imprisonment, down 5.9% from that of the year before.