【时代论坛讯】就四川王怡牧师在十二月三十日被内地当局以「煽动颠覆国家政权罪」及「非法经营罪」重判入狱九年，有香港信徒教牧及社关组织发起网上联署（网址：https://forms.gle/gwZBgUiEjJf67fX2A），抗议审讯有违公平公开，也侵犯公民基本权利，直指中国信教公民处境严峻，家庭教会备受打压。（编按：据联署网页公布，截至1月2日上午10时10分，已有1410人参与联署，距离联署公开发布时间不足廿四小时。）
「中国政府不仅未有保障公民宗教自由权益，反倒以不同理由作管控，什至打压，已是不容否认的事实。中国教会为了实践信仰，捍卫权益，而遭受政治打压及检控，叫我们不能沉默，无法不为受苦的主内同道发出沉痛的呐喊，也再次呼吁中国政府落实宪政，尊重信教公民的权益。」
联署以中英双语写成，由卅六位信徒教牧，以及六个成立于不同年代的本地教会社关组织以及教会发起，包括始于反修例运动的香港基督教教牧联署筹委会、始于伞运的教牧关怀团、始于七十年代的基督教中国宗教文化研究社等。联署发起人不乏知名信徒教牧，包括胡志伟牧师、邢福增院长、王礽福社长、蒲锦昌牧师、雷竞业牧师、刘进图等。联署声明指，王怡自去年底被捕后，家属委托的辩护律师一直无法接触被告，获公平审讯的权利被剥夺。而十二月三十日的判决亦无按法例公开进行，严重损害庭审的公正性，联署者表示强烈遗憾。
声明指，王怡作为牧师「完全没有颠覆国家政权及推翻社会主义制度的动机及行为」，其教导与写作属宪法下公民言论自由的权利，而教会印刷书籍亦不构成牟利行为。声明促请中国政府公正审理案件。
声明亦为王怡在艰难里的生命见证感恩，并为受逼迫的中国牧者信徒祷告，求信心、勇气、力量与盼望；并引用希伯来书十三章20-21节的祝福语句，为王怡牧师所属的成都秋雨圣约教会众人以及王怡家人祷告。
联署声明全文如下：
香港基督徒声援成都秋雨圣约教会王怡牧师联署声明（Declaration by Christians in Hong Kong in support of Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu）
香港基督徒声援成都秋雨圣约教会王怡牧师联署声明
我们是一群关心中国教会的香港基督徒，就成都中级人民法院于2019年12月30日，以「煽动颠覆国家政权罪」及「非法经营罪」，判处成都秋雨圣约教会王怡牧师有期徒刑9年一案， 表达高度关注，并作以下声明：
（一）王怡牧师自2018年12月9日被捕后，其家属委托的辩护律师张培鸿一直无法与他接触，后来当局更拒绝张氏担任王牧师的辩护人。此举严重违反了《中华人民共和国刑事诉讼法》关于委托辩护律师的安排，剥夺了被告获公平审讯的权利。12月30日的的审判及宣告判决，并未按《刑事诉讼法》要求公开进行，这种「秘密审讯」的安排，违反了中国宪法、法律及国际法，严重损害庭审的公正性。对此，我们表达关注及强烈遗憾。
（二）当局指控王怡牧师的控罪及判刑，在缺乏公平审讯及辩护权利的情况下，其合法性备受质疑。作为成都秋雨圣约教会的主任牧师，王怡完全没有颠覆国家政权及推翻社会主义制度的动机及行为，其教导与写作，乃实践其信仰使命，属宪法赋予公民的言论自由权利，并未构成造谣、诽谤，或诱惑、鼓动及煽动行为。而秋雨圣约教会印刷书籍，旨在牧养信徒，广传福音，也不构成牟利行为。有关「煽动颠覆国家政权罪」及「非法经营罪」的控罪及判决，既犯侵公民基本权利，也有违公平公开审讯，我们深感忧虑，并表达严正抗议，促请中国政府公正审理案件。
（三）自2014年以来，中国的宗教自由出现严重倒退，特别是各地家庭教会以不同方式及罪名，遭当局打压。成都秋雨圣约教会，北京守望教会及锡安教会近年先后被当局取缔，现在更以「煽动颠覆国家政权罪」来向牧者进行起诉及判决，此举进一步说明中国政府严厉打压家庭教会的政策。中国信教公民的合法权益，不仅未有获得保障，反倒处于前所未有严峻处境。我们重申，宗教自由乃宪法赋予公民的基本权利，不容践踏。中国政府不仅未有保障公民宗教自由权益，反倒以不同理由作管控，什至打压，已是不容否认的事实。中国教会为了实践信仰，捍卫权益，而遭受政治打压及检控，叫我们不能沉默，无法不为受苦的主内同道发出沉痛的呐喊，也再次呼吁中国政府落实宪政，尊重信教公民的权益。
（四）我们为王怡牧师在艰难环境作出的生命见证献上感恩，任何神学传统的差异，不应妨碍主内的合一及连结。为一众身处艰难境况，活在恐惧之中，身心灵受逼迫及伤害的中国牧者及信徒祷告，求上主的信心、勇气、力量与盼望，与你们同在。我们或因着不同原因与考虑，曾经成为沉默旁观者，对此我们深感忏悔。在此，我们特别为成都秋雨圣约教会的众同工信徒、被判囚4年的覃德富长老、王牧师的家人（师母蒋蓉姊妹，儿子王书亚及王牧师的父母）祷告：「但愿赐平安的上帝，就是那凭永约之血，把群羊的大牧人──我们主耶稣从死人中领出来的上帝，在各样善事上装备你们，使你们遵行他的旨意；又借着耶稣基督在我们里面行他所喜悦的事。愿荣耀归给他，直到永永远远。阿们！」（希伯来书十三20-21）
一群香港基督徒
2019年12月31日Declaration by Christians in Hong Kong in support of Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu
We are a group of Christians based in Hong Kong who care about the well-being of churches in China. We are gravely concerned about the prosecution and sentencing of Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church for 9 years by the Intermediate People’s Court in Chengdu on 30 December 2019, under the charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and “unlawful business operation”. The following is our statement in this regard:
(1) Since his arrest on 9 December 2018, Pastor Wang Yi has been denied access to his family-appointed attorney, Mr Zhang Peihong. Subsequently, the government denied the application of Mr Zhang to be the defending attorney of Pastor Wang. This act is an outright violation of the provisions specified in the Criminal Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China regarding the rights to assign a defending attorney, and hence a deprivation of the defendant's right to fair trial. The trial and announcement of verdict on 30 December was not proceeded in public as ordained by Criminal Procedure Law and such arrangement of secrecy was a violation of Chinese constitution and laws as well as international law; the fairness of the trial was seriously undermined. As such, we express tremendous concerns and regrets.
(2) As a result of the lack of due process as articulated above, the legality of the prosecution to Pastor Wang Yi in terms of the charges and sentence is questionable. Wang Yi, being the Pastor-in-Charge of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has displayed anything but seditious and anti-socialist motives and behaviors. On the contrary, his teachings and writings are embodiment of his faith and mission, which are rights endowed by the Constitution to citizens. In no part do they lead to falsehood and defamation, or seduction, sedition and incitement. Books printed by the Early Rain Covenant Church are published for the purposes of nurturing believers and spreading the gospel, which are in no shape or form profit-seeking. The prosecution and verdict against Pastor Wang of "inciting subversion of state power" and "unlawful business operation" are clear violations of civil rights as well as the principle of open and fair trial. We are deeply concerned and hereby express our solemn protest, and demand that the Chinese government should grant a fair trial to the case.
(3) Since 2014, religious freedom in China has been on serious decline. In particular, house churches in various cities have been suppressed by the authorities in various ways and have been put on charges. The Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, the Beijing Shouwang Church and the Zion Church have been banned by the authorities in recent years. Now the authorities escalate by prosecuting and adjudicating pastors for "inciting subversion of state power". Such actions further illustrate the Chinese government's severe crackdown on house churches. The legitimate rights and interests of religious Chinese citizens have not only gone unprotected but are even under unprecedented threat. It cannot be over emphasized that religious freedom is a fundamental right granted to citizens by the Constitution and cannot be trampled upon. Undeniably, the Chinese government had not only failed to protect citizens’ right to religious freedom but had controlled and even suppressed such freedom with a variety of reasons. The Chinese church has suffered political repression and prosecution in its practice of faith and its defense of rights and interests. In face of this, we can no longer remain silent; we cannot help uttering a painful cry for our suffering fellow believers. Once again, we urge the People's Republic of China to to implement constitutional government which respects the rights and interests of citizens who engage in religious practices.
(4) We are thankful for Pastor Wang Yi's life testimony amidst hardship. Theological differences should not be obstacles to unity and communion in Christ. We pray for church ministers and Christians in China who are in difficult situations, living in fear, being persecuted both physically and spiritually. May faith, courage, and strength from the Lord be with you. We confess that we have been silent onlookers out of various reasons and considerations. At this moment, we pray in particular for our fellow believers and coworkers in the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Elder Qin Defu who has been sentenced to 4 years in prison, and the family of Pastor Wang (his wife Jiang Rong, his son Shuya and his parents). “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13: 20-21)
The undersigned, a group of Christians in Hong Kong
31 December 2019
发起人（Initiators）
团体：
Flow Church
使命公民运动
基督教中国宗教文化研究社
教牧关怀团
香港基督徒学会
香港基督教教牧联署筹委会
个人：
Gideon Yung
王少勇
王礽福
王家辉
王震廷
任志强
余健诚
李骏康
李耀坤
车耀业
邢福增
林家贤
洪国谦
胡志伟
胡露茜
孙宝玲
袁天佑
马保罗
梁国全
陈玉兰
陈建荣
陈恩明
陈淑仪
陈德晶
黄国维
雷竞业
蒲锦昌
赵崇明
刘进图
蔡扬眉
卢智荣
缪炽宏
罗秉祥
谭启见
关浩然
龚立人
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