January 19, 2017
In the West we consider our homes a sanctuary, a place that we
can retreat to and relax in. The thought that that place is not safe would
rarely enter our minds.
For Christian human rights defender Li Chunfu, though, that is
not the case.
The Beijing lawyer is said to be ‘emaciated and aged’ after
spending more than a year behind bars. He is believed to have been tortured in
custody and appears to be suffering significant trauma. When he returned home,
his wife said he was afraid to enter their flat.
Li Heping’s wife weeps as she greets her brother-in-law Li
Chunfu. (Photo: China Aid)
Li Chunfu has been freed on bail from a Chinese prison – but he
has emerged a broken man.
Please ask God to heal Li Chunfu and comfort his wife, as they
recover from their ordeal.
Li Chunfu was arrested in August 2015, during a nationwide
crackdown on human rights lawyers and church leaders across China. Initially, he
was held incommunicado in an unofficial ‘black jail’. His brother, Li Heping, had been
seized the month before: Li Heping has since been charged with ‘subverting state
power’ and remains in jail.
Since his release a week ago, Li Chunfu has told his wife he was
subjected to medical checks almost daily in prison and given unknown medication,
which he now fears may put his life at risk. Li has worked alongside Beijing
lawyer and fellow Christian Zhang Kai who was detained during
the same crackdown – but released last March.
- Pray that our all-powerful God will comfort, heal and restore Li Chunfu, in mind, body and spirit. Thank God that the same Holy Spirit that brought Christ back to life is at work in Li’s body (Romans 8:11).
- Pray for courage, patience and grace for Li’s wife as she waits on God to heal her husband. Pray too for Li’s sister-in-law Wang Qiaoling, who will inevitably be concerned for her husband as she sees the impact of imprisonment on Li Chunfu.
