Zhang Kai

Zhang Kai is a human rights lawyer known for defending churches in China that were being forced to remove their crosses and crucifixes. He is also known for representing or campaigning on behalf of the disadvantaged, such as Feng Jianmei, a woman forced by government authorities to have an abortion in 2012.

Arrest and detention Zhang was detained on 25 August 2015 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, a city with a strong Christian influence. He had been representing churches whose crosses were demolished by government officials, and was also accused of ‘masterminding illegal religious gatherings’. He was charged with “endangering state secrets” and “gathering a crowd to disturb public order” and placed in criminal detention.

Along with a group of religious leaders, Zhang had been scheduled to meet US envoy for religious freedom, David Saperstein, the following day.

Officials in the province have been waging a campaign to remove crosses from more than 1,200 churches and other buildings. Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping was once the Party Committee Secretary of the province.

Rights groups say the campaign has affected hundreds of parishes.

Zhang made a televised confession, which was rejected by his supporters. Zhang Lei, a fellow human rights lawyer, said “it is utterly appalling for a person to be made to confess on the television”.

Lawyers and activists detained in China Other people detained by the authorities include lawyers Wang Yu, Zhou Shifeng, Li Shuyun and Xie Yanyi; as well as Li Heping and his two assistants, Zhao Wei and Gao Yue; another legal assistant, Liu Sixin; and activists Hu Shigen and Gou Hongguo.

In June 2016, there were reports in the South China Morning Post that Zhao Wei had been released after apparently 'confessing' – however these reports have not been confirmed. Her husband also believes that she may have been forced to recant, and disputed the authenticity of statements on her Sina Weibo social media account.