Since her husband’s arrest in 2008, Gulinuer has done all she can to raise her children without her husband Alimujiang, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for allegedly leaking state secrets.
The charge was based on two phone conversations between Alimujiang and an American Christian friend. There is nothing to suggest that their conversations included any sensitive information.
What Alimujiang told his friend was that people in China are monitored by the State security. This is the only evidence that was brought against him when he was accused of leaking a state secret. And, this ‘evidence’ was secretly recorded by someone monitoring his phone.
For decades, Christians like Alimujiang have experienced severe persecution in Xinjiang. Alimujiang not only became a follower of Christ; he became a pastor too. That’s why he received such a long and harsh sentence.
For nearly 11 years, he has been held in a prison where inmates are made to wear earphones tuned to communist propaganda 24/7, and are forced to memorise and repeat what they hear.
Despite living in such terrible conditions, Alimujiang’s faith remains strong. Recently, we learnt from our partner for China that Alimujiang had expressed thanks to God for that he was sent to prison, because he can share the gospel and be an agent of God’s love there.
Thanks to your generosity, our ministry partner assisted Alimujiang with his legal defence and supported his family financially. So that Gulinuer could put food on the table and send her sons to school.
For a few years, Gulinuer and the boys (pictured above) visited Alimujiang in prison once a month. But they are not allowed to visit anymore. They have been deemed non-cooperative and have been punished by having their visiting rights stopped. Gulinuer is now being followed and monitored every day by State security agents.
The experiences of Alimujiang, Gulinuer and their children are representative of those of many other families in China and in Eritrea, North Korea, Laos and other places where Christians are imprisoned. They mistreat prisoners of faith and persecute their families to deter others from converting to Christ or being active as his followers.
Help families of prisoners of faith today !