Mrs. Zhang Hongmei was thirty-three years old when she was arrested by local Chinese police in the village of Dong Maio Dong, China, for her Christian witness and for participating in so-called “illegal religious activities.”
The afternoon of her arrest, October 29, police approached her family and demanded a bribe of 3,000 RMB (about $400 US) in order to release Zhang. The family was unable to raise the money, so later that day her brother and her husband, Xu Feng-hai, went to the police station to request her release. What they found there shocked them.
Zhang was bound to a bench with heavy chains. She was badly wounded and unable to speak. In spite of her deteriorating condition, police refused to let her go. Her husband and brother were forced to leave without her.
The following day, her family returned to the station where they were notified that she had died at noon that day. The autopsy report showed that she had died from internal injuries sustained from vicious beatings. Affected by Zhang’s life and outraged by her death, more than 1,000 people joined in a protest the next day in front of the city offices.
Zhang Hongmei was ready to die rather than deny Christ. In her life, she touched many in her community. In her death, she offered a challenge and example to believers around the world.
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